When All Else Fails
by LadyRaider
Summary: Complete Sam is forced to ascend to save her life. Where does it leave Jack, where does it leave Pete, and what happens when she comes back?
1. Chapter One

Title: When All Else Fails.  
  
Chapter: One  
  
Summary: When all else fails ... ascend.  
Sam is forced to ascend to save her life. Where does it leave Jack, where does it leave Pete, and what happens when she comes back?  
  
Spoilers: Everything I guess.  
  
Disclaimer: Oh, come on. Is this really a necessity? I mean, not many people are dumb enough to assume that since I'm writing about them on 'fanfiction' they're mine, and those who are, are just sad. They don't belong to me, for cryin' out loud!  
  
XXXX  
  
"NO!" He yelled out as the bullet ripped through her stomach, sending flows of crimson liquid everywhere, drenching her in its stickiness. She stood for only a few painful, her hands finding their way to the wound, before faltering, and crumpling to the ground. He could hear her short, panicked breaths from his position nearly 30 feet away, and he wanted nothing more than to rush to her side. But, he couldn't, he was in chains, and had to crane his neck to even look at her.  
  
Their eyes met for a brief moment, tears streaming down the faces of both, a thousand words passing between them in the course of less than 5 seconds. Daniel was closer to her, chained down like he was. He saw an oily mass of blonde hair as she turned her head away from him and towards the young archeologist. They spoke, what about he couldn't hear, but Daniel's face was twisted and tears were flowing freely. He nodded and said something to her, trying to scoot closer, failing miserably.  
  
He could hear her voice; she was choking back tears as she spoke with raspy, uneven breaths. She was in so much pain, he could tell just by the way that she talked. What she was saying he couldn't make out, but he could tell the difference from when she spoke and when Daniel did.  
  
The sound of a gun being reloaded filled his ears; he looked in horror at the direction where the first shot came from. Where did he get an earth-weapon? Who the hell brought a gun like that along with them anyhow? The conversation between Carter and Daniel became rushed, their voices now a dull whisper barely detectable by his ears. Just as the man had his gun trained back on the female warrior a blinding white light flashed, and he knew immediately what was going on.  
  
"Damn it, Sam!" He yelled out, hoping she would hear, "Not you! Not now! Not again!" But it was too late now, and this was the only possible way to save her. These things he knew, but that knowledge didn't make him feel any better. "Don't you do this to me!" He said to himself in a quieter voice, the tears audible.  
  
The last thing he remembered before feeling the pain of a bullet passing though his own stomach was a beautiful, glowing figure before him, smiling sadly, and the words "I love you, Jack," filling his ears as he gave way to the darkness.  
  
XXXX  
  
9 Days Later:  
  
He awoke with a forward jolt, causing what he could only assume were stitches in his side to pull in a painful matter. Crying out in pain he fell back to whatever bed he was lying in. Looking around through squinted eyes he recognized the familiar white sheets and sterile smell. He was back at the SGC, in the infirmary. But how? The last thing he could remember was being shot by a madman, on P8Q-375, and Carter ... Carter!  
  
"General O'Neill?" Came a worried voice from the foot of his bed, he opened his eyes, squinting at the brightness of the room, and the petite nurse who stood with a clipboard not 10 feet from him.  
  
"Carter?" He questioned, his voice hoarse, and his throat burning as he spoke, "Where's Carter?"  
  
The nurse tensed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other nervously. She ignored his question, "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Like shit," he mumbled. "What happened to Carter?"  
  
She opened her mouth to answer him but when Daniel walked in changed her mind. "I'll let you two talk," she said hurriedly before rushing out of the room. Daniel walked slowly over to Jack's bedside, limping as he did so. Pulling up a chair and sitting in it he took a deep breath and began the conversation.  
  
"Do you remember anything about what happened?"  
  
"I got an idea, but I could be wrong. Would you just tell me where Carter is and get over with it."  
  
"Jack, she ascended."  
  
"Damn it," he swore. "I knew that's what you two were talking about so secretively!"  
  
"I'm sorry Jack," he said taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. "I wouldn't have helped her do it if I thought that there was another way, it was her only hope. And who knows, maybe she'll do some good."  
  
"Maybe," he said quietly. Then, needing a subject changed he asked, "Uh, Daniel. How did we get here?"  
  
"Teal'c. He, ah, saw Sam and she told him about what had happened, and that we needed help. He came to the rescue." He smiled awkwardly, "I believe that he's got a message from Sam for you."  
  
Jack nodded, "I think I got it before I passed out."  
  
"Oh?" He questioned.  
  
"Yeah. Um, Daniel. Not that I'm happy you're ok and everything, seeing as we were help captive by a deranged serial killer, but I'd kinda like to be alone right now." His eyes pleaded with him not to ask any questions, just to leave. He would be fine; he just needed some time.  
  
Daniel nodded, "I understand. If you need to talk you know where to find me."  
  
"All right."  
  
Daniel stood, pushing the chair back as he did and gave him one last sad smile before leaving the room. Jack heard hushed voices in the hallway, one belonging to Daniel the other belonging to the Doc, no doubt the nurse had informed her of his consciousness and she had come to check on him, Daniel would be telling her to give it some time, let it all sink in. He sighed to himself, falling back gently on the hospital bed, a thousand thoughts running through his mind.  
  
"This isn't happening," he said to himself quietly, "this can't be happening."  
  
"It's happening, Jack."  
  
It was her voice, he knew immediately. Jolting forward, ignoring the searing pain that the movement caused, he scanned the room. It was empty. But it couldn't be empty; he had heard her voice. She had to be there.  
  
"You can't see me Jack." She said as if she knew his thoughts. "I just wanted you to know that I'm ok."  
  
His eyes searched the room once more, hoping to catch a glimpse, even by accident. "I want to see you," he said so softly he barely even heard it himself. "Please, Sam. One last time."  
  
There was a recognizable, audible sigh and then suddenly she was there, standing right next to his bed, smiling sadly. "Hey, Jack."  
  
"Hi," he breathed, his voice shaky. "How's it going?"  
  
She laughed at his attempt to loosen things up, "I can't stay long, Jack."  
  
"I know," he replied nodding. "Remember I've had to go through this before."  
  
She frowned, "I didn't want to go like this, Jack, but it was the only way."  
  
"You don't have to explain it to me, Sam. I'm just glad that you're alive ... well, sort of."  
  
She nodded and stepped, or rather floated closer to the bed. "Could you do something for me? Could you tell Pete that I'm sorry and tell Cassie that I love her, and I'll have my eye on her? Do you know if they know yet?"  
  
He shook his head, "I'm sorry. I just woke up."  
  
"All right, ok. Even if they do already know, could you please tell them that for me?"  
  
"Of course, Sam."  
  
"Right," she said, "I have to go now, then." A familiar white light started to fill the room.  
  
"Wait!" He called out, a little more loudly than he had meant to. The light stopped and he could once again see only her. "I love you, Sam. I want you to know that."  
  
She smiled, "I know." And as the white light illuminated the room once again he heard her voice, soft and secretive, whisper in his ear. "I love you, too."  
  
And then she was gone again, he was alone in the room, and he suddenly felt cold. Wrapping his blanket tighter around his body he laid back down on the bed, and painfully fell into a dreamless slumber.  
  
XXXX  
  
One week later:  
  
"CARTER!" He screamed, jolting forward and out of his nightmare. Only, it wasn't a nightmare. It was real, it had happened. She was gone.  
  
He slid out of the sweat-soaked hospital bed and his bare feet hit the cool, glassy floor. He padded across the infirmary and into its private bathroom, where he splashed cold water on his face, which was burning and sticky from sweat. Looking at himself in the mirror he cursed, watching separate droplets of water race down his cheeks towards freedom, mixed with silent tears.  
  
The dream had been a reoccurring one, they haunted him to the point where every time he shut his eyes the only thing he saw was the bullet tearing through her stomach, and hear her scream out in pain. Mackenzie had tried to talk with him about it, but he brushed him off. He didn't need a shrink, he would be just fine, there was nothing wrong with him. Nothing at all.  
  
Who was he kidding? He was falling apart, piece by piece, day by day. It had only been a week since he had waken up, and only a little over two weeks since she had ascended, he was a wreck. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get better again.  
  
He dried his face of with a towel and went back into the infirmary, the doctor was there by then, writing something down on that godforsaken clipboard she always held. What was in that thing?, he mused. It must have been something damn important, he never saw her without it.  
  
She looked up at him as he walked by and frowned. "General, you shouldn't be out of bed."  
  
"The hell I shouldn't. I want to go home."  
  
"I would strongly advise ag-"  
  
"I don't think you understood me, doctor. I'm going home, whether I have your blessing or not."  
  
"General..."  
  
"Doctor." He said, sternly. "I'm well enough to walk on my own now, I can stay at home and heal just as fast as I would if I stayed here and healed. It's not like I'm the one running the base at the moment, I've got a temporary replacement who I'd say is more than capable of running things, wouldn't you."  
  
She sighed, "If you do I'll have to send a nurse to check up on you, every other hour."  
  
"Now, that's unnecessary."  
  
"Fine, once a day then. And, you have to call me if there is even the slightest chance of anything wrong happening. And absolutely no leaving the house."  
  
"Fine," he said, "I'll leave in a hour."  
  
XXXX  
  
The SF dropped him off in front of his house with warnings from the doctor. As he opened his door to enter the house a blast of hot, stuffy air hit him in the face. He turned on the AC and lay down on his couch, flipping the TV on with his remote. The nurse would be by to check on him in an hour and a half; he would stay and indulge her while she checked to make sure he was all right. But, he decided, as soon as she left so would he. He had a promise to fulfill.  
  
The nurse who came was young, maybe late 20's early 30's, but that wasn't what he noticed about her first. She smiled politely and asked him if he needed anything, and how was he feeling? He told her that he was probably feeling much better compared to her.  
  
"How far along are you?" He asked as she checked his temperature.  
  
"7 months, 2 weeks."  
  
"And you're still working?"  
  
"I go on maternity leave as soon as I hit 8 months. You're stuck with me for the next two weeks, sir. I'll be by at the same time everyday just to see you."  
  
He smiled, "Well, I must be a special man. Is this your first?"  
  
She shook her head, "3rd actually. But, only my second pregnancy. I had twins almost three years ago, when I was 27. A boy and a girl."  
  
"What are their names?"  
  
She told him to lift his arms so she could take off his shirt and check his wound, he did as ordered. "Rebecca Diane and Noah Riley."  
  
"Is this one a boy or a girl?"  
  
"Boy."  
  
"Lucky Rebecca." He smiled, "What about this one? What's his name going to be?"  
  
"Jonah William."  
  
"That's a good name."  
  
She helped him back into his shirt, "Thank you, sir. We're all done now."  
  
"All right."  
  
"Remember, no leaving the house."  
  
"Got'cha. Thank you, Nurse..."  
  
"Richards. But, since we're off-base you can call me Bethany."  
  
"Ok, Bethany. Thanks for checking up on me."  
  
"No problem." She grabbed her things and smiled at him before walking out the door. He waited ten minutes after she left to get his keys and jump into his truck. It was going to take a little while before he reached his destination, and it wasn't going to be the easiest trip he'd ever taken, either. For more reasons than the obvious.  
  
XXXX  
  
He knocked on the apartment door twice before a rough looking man, clad in sweatpants and an old t-shit answered it. "Jack?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"What are you doing at my apartment?"  
  
He took a deep breath; "We need to talk, Pete."  
  
XXXX  
  
A/N: All right, there's the first chapter. I hope that you liked it! Please let me know, either way. I've got the first couple chapter written out, so who knows the next chapter may be out fairly soon. That depends on the reviews! 


	2. Chapter Two

Title: When All Else fails  
  
Chapter: Two  
  
Disclaimer: See chapter 1.  
  
XXXX  
  
Pete looked at him dumbfounded for a moment, before nodding his head. "Come in." He moved out of the doorframe and allowed Jack to pass, then led him to the couch. When he sat down Pete asked him if he would like a beer or something to drink.  
  
"No," he said shaking his head. "I'm not going to be staying long."  
  
"You drove all the way here from Colorado Springs to stay for only a few minutes?"  
  
He shrugged, "I made a promise."  
  
"A promise? To who?"  
  
"Carter."  
  
The look on his face changed from confused to grave, "What kind of promise?"  
  
Jack sighed to himself, "She wanted me to tell you something."  
  
"When? How? I thought she died," confusion was once again setting in.  
  
That surprised Jack, "What?"  
  
"The man who came, he told me she was MIA, and to be assumed as dead."  
  
Jack shook his head; "She ascended."  
  
His eyebrows furrowed, "What the hell does that mean?"  
  
'_Oh boy,'_ Jack thought, _'this is a tough one.'_  
  
"Uh, she's not exactly dead but she's not exactly alive anymore either." He explained, hoping the other man was smart enough to understand, "She's living on a higher existence of being, and she basically is pure energy now. But, she can still take on her human form and speak. She came to me, when I first woke from my coma."  
  
Pete's voice was thick, and his words sounded forced. "What happened to her?"  
  
"She was shot, on P8Q-375. Apparently one of the men thought that it wasn't the smartest thing for women to be warriors and decided to show us that opinion with what looked like a .9 mm semi-automatic. He shot her once, and before he could shoot again Daniel helped her ascend. He knew how, he'd done it before."  
  
A look of hope passed through his eyes. "So she can come back?"  
  
This was turning out harder than Jack thought, "No, not really." He began, "That's where all of this gets confusing. Daniel didn't want to come back, not really. He was forced to; it was a punishment for his actions. He tried to kill a Goa'uld using his powers and Oma wasn't to thrilled about it, so she descended him. Now, I guess Sam could descend, but she would have to do something pretty bad in order to do so. And I gotta tell you, if I ascended I don't think I would want to come back."  
  
Pete didn't seem to like that, "So, she's gone?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"And she's not coming back?"  
  
"It's not a very good possibility, no." He shook his head, "She's not coming back."  
  
He nodded, "You ... ah... you said that you made her a promise?"  
  
"When she came to me, she had a message for you. She told me to tell you that she was sorry, and that she loved you." Ok, so he added the last part, but she was Pete's fiancée, at least before she ascended.  
  
"Thank you," Pete said, his voice breaking, "I know she meant a lot to you."  
  
He nodded, "She was one of my best friends."  
  
"Are you all right?" He asked, motioning towards his stomach where the bandage could be seen through his shirt.  
  
He shrugged, "I've been hurt worse."  
  
"Right," he nodded.  
  
"I should be going," he said standing, "I'm not even supposed to be driving."  
  
"Thank you again," Pete told him, following him to the door.  
  
He nodded and left the apartment, got into his truck and drove off. He still had another part of his promise to keep.  
  
XXXX  
  
When he got home he decided to have her come to him, he was to exhausted from driving to Denver and back almost simultaneously. So, he called her and let her know he was home, and asked if she wanted to come over and talk. She said she did, she would leave campus as soon as she finished with her homework, and it would probably take about an hour.  
  
So, in that time he ordered a pizza. The delivery boy got to his house before Cassie did so he put the pizza on the kitchen table and went back into the living room to wait for her. She arrived ten minutes later, she looked happy to see him but he could tell she knew why she was there.  
  
"This is about Sam isn't it?" She asked as she took a bite of her pizza.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"She ascended?" Cassie asked.  
  
"Yeah," he took a bite of his own pizza.  
  
She gave him a small, sad smile. "Daniel already told me about it, Jack."  
  
"There's something that Daniel didn't know," he told her as a matter-of-fact.  
  
She looked at him confused, "Oh yeah? What?"  
  
"She came to me, after she ascended. She wanted me to tell you that she loved you and she would be watching out for you. Which I guess you can take as either a good thing or a bad thing." He smiled at her, "But, I wouldn't do anything that she might not like, just in case."  
  
She smiled back, "I'll consider that."  
  
"So," he asked, changing the subject. "How's school been going?"  
  
She shrugged, "It's been good. Med school is going to be hard."  
  
"You'll do good," he asured her. "Before you know it there's gonna be a Neapolionic power monger jr. running around." He smiled, "You'll be great, just like she was."  
  
"I hope." She sighed, "How are you dealing with all of this Jack? I know that you and Sam were close."  
  
"Yeah," he whispered, "close."  
  
Cassie frowned at him, "She knew that you loved her Jack, if that's what you're worried about."  
  
"No, it's not." He said her, his head shaking. "I know she knew. I told her so."  
  
"Really?" She asked him, confused.  
  
He nodded.  
  
Cassie was silent for a moment, she finished eating her pizza and then looked back up at him. "She's the one who told me about mom, you know?"  
  
He shook his head, "No. I didn't."  
  
"She showed me the tape. That's just like mom, always saving the day, being the hero." She smiled sadly, "I mean, I know you guys would probably be considered more heroic then she would, but she loved what she did. She saved so many people's lives, most probably never even knew her name."  
  
"I know," Jack said. "I know."  
  
"Sam, too. Look at all the times she's kept things from happening to earth, and now she's gone and nobody knows the difference. It was the same way when Daniel was gone. It doesn't seem fair, you know. You guys do these extraordinary things and nobody's the wiser. Nobody would be left if it wasn't for all of you guys at the SGC, you should be regarded as national heroes, but if somebody saw you walking down the street they wouldn't think twice about you."  
  
"Life's not always fair, Cassie. Things don't always work out, fame and fortune is a privilege only a few share."  
  
She shook her head, "Not the right few."  
  
"That's how things work. Truth be told, I like it better this way. I don't want to have to fight through the masses just to get to my truck in the morning, or be recognized while I'm in the restroom, and photographed every time I turn around. Neither would Sam, Daniel, or Teal'c. It's easier this way, being unknown."  
  
"You're probably right, but that still doesn't make it fair. They should be remembered, mom and Sam both."  
  
"I know," he said, shaking his head as well. "You remember them for the world, all right?"  
  
She nodded, "I'll do my best."  
  
XXXX  
  
15 months, 24 days after Sam's ascension:  
  
He got a surprising telephone call that day, from Pete Shannahan. The two had talked a few times since he drove down to Denver, mostly about their memories of Sam, how much they missed her. Occasionally they talked about sports, Pete was a hockey fan too, they even went to a game once because Daniel wouldn't go with him. But the call wasn't the surprising thing, no, it was the subject.  
  
"I'm getting married," was the first thing out of his mouth.  
  
"To that girl ..." He asked, "Jessica?"  
  
"Yeah," he replied. "I asked her last night."  
  
"She said yes? I'm happy for you."  
  
"I can't help but feel like I'm cheating on Sam, though. She's still out there somewhere and here I am proposing to another woman."  
  
"She would want you to move on, Pete." He told him, "You know that."  
  
He was silent for a moment before asking, "Then why haven't you?"  
  
"Why haven't I what?" Jack asked, confused.  
  
His answer was simple, "Moved on."  
  
"There's nothing to move on from, Pete." He lied, "Sam and I never had a relationship."  
  
"Maybe not a physical one, but God was I always jealous of you. She got this sparkle in her eyes whenever she was talking about you, not as her boss, but as her friend. And she never smiled at me the way she did when she was around you."  
  
"Maybe," he said with a sigh. "But there was still nothing to move on from."  
  
"Keep telling yourself that, maybe one day you'll convince us both of it. Anyway, I want you to be in it."  
  
"In your wedding?"  
  
"I need another groomsman," he said nonchalantly. "You up for it?"  
  
"Damn, Pete. You just asked the girl last night, when are you getting married?"  
  
"Next month," he replied.  
  
"Why so soon?"  
  
"She wants a simple wedding, it won't take too long to plan. We're in love; you know what that's like. Waiting more than a month would seem like an eternity. I wish I had asked Sam sooner, instead of waiting as long as I did."  
  
Jack sighed into the phone, "Are you having it in Denver?"  
  
"Yeah, at a park by my apartment. Does that mean you'll do it?"  
  
"Sure, why not," he said grimacing into the telephone.  
  
"Thanks, Jack. I don't know how I can repay you for all the things that you've done for me this past year."  
  
"Be happy, that's what Sam would want so that's what I want."  
  
"Bye, Jack."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He hung up the phone and stared at it for a few minutes, of course he was happy for Pete, he had grown to tolerate the man. But, was being in the wedding of the woman he loved's former fiancé the right thing to do? He understood the man's hesitance to move on, Jack himself hadn't been able to even think about dating or anything along the lines of it. But, then again he hadn't dated much before she ascended either.  
  
He picked up the phone and dialed Daniel, he told him about the predicament. Daniel seemed upbeat about it, he told him that Pete was doing the right thing by moving on, Sam wasn't going to be coming back. He also added that Jack himself should move on and start to date.  
  
"What do you know about dating, Daniel?" Jack had asked, "When was the last time you went on one?"  
  
Daniel had gotten a smug tone in his voice, "Last week, as a matter of fact."  
  
"Oh," was all Jack could say. "With who?"  
  
"One of the nurses at the SGC. You know, she actually asked me out."  
  
Jack shook his head and laughed, "Figures. Well, I'd better let you go. I've got to pick up Teal'c, we're going out to a movie."  
  
"Oh, which one?"  
  
"Some sci-fi thing, you know how he is with those movies."  
  
"Probably because he's lived more than half of what they're talking about in them."  
  
Jack protested, "So have we!"  
  
"Not the same," Daniel told him.  
  
"It's not?" Jack asked surprised. It seemed like it should be the same.  
  
"No, Jack. He's actually an alien, we've just met them."  
  
"Oh, guess you're right. Bye then."  
  
"Bye Jack."  
  
Jack dropped the phone into its cradle and picked up his wallet and keys, then left the house locking it behind him. As he pulled out in the driveway he thought he saw a light on in the house, but when he looked again it was gone. He pushed it aside as his old mind playing tricks on him.  
  
XXXX  
  
Inside a brilliant white flash illuminated Jack's bedroom, and a blonde figure sat on the edge of his bed, looking around, surveying how much it had changed from the last time she had visited. Which she didn't do often. She walked around the house, glancing at the photographs scattered here and there. Some were of the old days when he had been a part of SG-1, some were later when he was General, and there were even a few from after she had ascended. She looked at one in particular; it was of him and Cassie on her 20th birthday. She had been there, invisible to the crowd. But, she was certain she could see a smile on both the faces of Jack and Cassie when she had arrived. Like they somehow knew she was there.  
  
Truth be told, she'd been at his house for awhile, listing to his telephone conversations. So, Pete was getting married. Good for him, she thought, he deserves to be happy. In all truths, if it had been reversed and Jack was the one getting married she would have been furious. Why? She wasn't sure, it wasn't like she'd be coming back to him, and he had no reason to wait for her.  
  
She stayed the whole time that he was gone, and when he returned she made it so that he couldn't see her, she watched him as he watched television for a few minutes, laughing at the comments made by some fake-reporter on the Daily Show with Jon Stewert. It was funny, yes, but not much made her laugh anymore. She wasn't sure if she had in over a year.  
  
When he rose to go to bed she followed, looking away as he undressed, but peaking out of the corner of her eye every now and then. She wasn't sure why, he couldn't see her, she guessed she just wanted some things to be left to the imagination.  
  
She had fallen deeper in love with him since her time as an ascended being, whenever she got the free time she would pop in and check on him, although she never made her presence known. Oma wouldn't allow that, but it was fine as long as he never saw her. She would watch as he helped save the world, yet again, even from his General's chair. She watched as he stood in the control room when SG-1 or any other team would go off-world on another mission, she was tempted to hold his hand when she saw that "why can't that be me?" look in his eyes. And she would lend a helping hand inadvertently, whenever it was required, but she could never do the things that she had done before. There was no more fixing the Stargate malfunctions and no more working on naqquida generators. She had to help through others, and although Siler was a brilliant scientist, he needed help frequently.  
  
He would talk to her sometimes, just in case she was there, watching. The conversations were always filled with confessions of love, and loneliness. How much he wished she would come back to him, how everything would be different if he had a second chance. But, he always wondered about how beautiful it was where she was at and told her he understood her decisions to stay, he probably would in the same situation. She never believed him when he said these things and it always made her feel guilty.  
  
Later that night, as he drifted off to sleep she leaned in and whispered her goodbye in his ear, as she always did. This time, however, was different. This time he answered back.  
  
"Night, Sam," he told her in a sleepy voice.  
  
XXXX  
  
A/N: So, tell me what'cha think about it so far. I love feedback.


	3. Chapter Three

Title: When All Else Fails  
  
Chapter: Three  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter.  
  
XXXX  
  
20 months 8 days since Sam's ascension:  
  
He sat by the edge of the water, a pole lying limp in his hands, his feet dangling into the cool water. General Jonathan "Jack" O'Niell was alone, or so he thought, fishing in the lake behind his Minnesota cabin, enjoying the weeklong downtime the President had ordered him to take. After not missing a day of work in over a year he understood why he had done so, and was very thankful.  
  
He kicked his feet slowly back and forth in the water, watching the ripples the motion caused. He had long since forgotten the fishing pole in his hands; it wasn't like anything would be biting anyway. He was more focused on the early spring sun beating down on him and the cool breeze that occasionally passed by, it was the perfect day.  
  
An hour passed by slowly, then another, and soon the sun was beginning to set and the temperature had dropped at least 5 degrees. He picked up the rod from where it had been haphazardly dropped on the dock and walked to his cabin, setting the pole next to the back door. He grabbed a beer from his fridge and made his way back to the dock, once again sitting on the edge and slipping his feet into the now cooler water of the lake.  
  
As he sipped on the beer he felt a breeze pass by, tousling his hair. It wasn't like the previous breezes, though; those had been soft and warm. This breeze was sharp and chilled him to the bone. He sighed into his beer and addressed her. "I always knew I'd get you here some day."  
  
There was only silence, but the breeze once again hit his face.  
  
"I don't think Oma would be too upset if you spoke, you know. Daniel did it a few times."  
  
"That was different," he heard her say, it sounded like she was sitting right next to him, but when he looked he saw nothing.  
  
"How was it different?"  
  
"Daniel wasn't in love with you," her voice whispered. He looked down at the water and saw ripples, much like the ones that he had caused earlier, when he had been kicking his feet back and forth. So, she was sitting next to him, he wished that she would show herself, he was starting to rely on photos to remember how she looked.  
  
"Yeah," he sighed, "too bad about that."  
  
He heard a giggle, he wished he could see her smile. "No giggling."  
  
"That doesn't work anymore, Jack. You're not my CO."  
  
"Damn," he muttered. She giggled again.  
  
"Oh, for cryin' out loud."  
  
"What's so wrong with my giggling anyhow?"  
  
He sighed, "It's too cute."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"You were my 2IC, cute wasn't exactly a way I was supposed to see you."  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
This whole hearing but not seeing thing was starting to get to him. "20 months, Sam," he said, sighing. "20 long, lonely months." He paused, checking to see if he could see her yet, she was still invisible. "All that time, Sam, and this is the first time you've ever answered me when I talked. Why now?"  
  
"I don't know, I was getting lonely too. I wanted to hear you voice, I figured you'd want to hear mine."  
  
"But, you can see me and I can't see you? Somehow that doesn't seem fair." He slowly kicked his feet back and forth, sending his own set of ripples through the water.  
  
She ignored him; "This place is beautiful. I should have come with you before."  
  
"Yeah," he agreed, "you should have."  
  
"I'm sorry Jack."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I left."  
  
"You chose life over death, Sam. I could never be angry with you for wanting to live. And, to tell you the truth, I'd be more angry with you if you had given up and let him kill you."  
  
He felt a small weight on his hand and looked down at it. A milky white feminine hand lay on top of it, he followed the connecting arm up to her face, and their eyes met. "Energy has never looked better," he quipped.  
  
She smiled that magnetic smile of hers, the one that he knew she reserved only for him, or at least she had before. She gave his hand a squeeze and began to fade away again, "Goodbye, Jack. I love you."  
  
She was gone before he could reply the air around him had turned chilly, and he shivered. He pulled his feet from the water and watched as the last set of ripples disappeared into the lake. Sighing to himself he wrapped his arms around his body, in an attempt to warm up. He began to slowly make his way back into the cabin, glancing up at the bright, twinkling stars. She was up there somewhere, he told himself. Somewhere up there.  
  
XXXX  
  
22 months 19 days since Sam's ascension:  
  
"So, what do the locals call this world again?" Jack asked as the Stargate whooshed forward.  
  
"The planet is called Sianna, the country that the 'gate is located on is Acadia," Daniel replied, pulling on his vest.  
  
"And, they're at the same level of technology as we are?"  
  
"No," Major Roberts, the new CO of SG-1, replied. "They're about a decade or two behind us."  
  
"But, they're the closest to us so far?"  
  
It was Teal'c's turn to respond, "Indeed."  
  
"Ok. Just checking." He paused, "So why am I going again?"  
  
Major Roberts smiled, "They requested audience with you, Sir."  
  
"Ah," he said, "Why?"  
  
"Because you're the leader of this base," replied Daniel, walking up the ramp, headed towards the shimmering blue puddle. "You're important."  
  
"Cool," he said, following him. Major Roberts, Captain Reese, and Teal'c following. They walked through the 'gate and ending up on P8Q-636, the planet called Sianna.  
  
"So," Jack said, slipping on a pair of sunglasses, "these people speak English, right?"  
  
"Their language is a mixture of English and Latin, but mostly English. There shouldn't be a problem, if somebody needs a translation, I'm there."  
  
"Right, so where are we going?"  
  
"The home of the defide."  
  
"Defide?"  
  
"Means "of the faith"."  
  
"So what, he's like a priest?" Captain Reese asked.  
  
"Basically, yeah."  
  
"Why his house?"  
  
Daniel led them down a worn, dirt path; "in Acadian society the defide is the ruler. Unlike earth they have only one faith, Christianity. To my understanding the Goa'uld brought them here around 1543 AD, I'm assuming that the small difference in the technology is a result of having to readjust to a new planet." He turned a corner, the rest followed.  
  
"You sure you know where you're going?" Major Roberts inquired.  
  
"I'm sure," was his reply as he turned another corner.  
  
Major Roberts ran a hand through her short, brown hair haphazardly, pulling it out of her face. She was shorter than Sam, by an inch, maybe two. Her hair was longer, but not by much. It was a medium shade of brown, her eyes were light green, and she was younger than she looked, only 34. She had become the CO of SG-1 around a month after Jack woke from his coma; she came with high recommendations. Jack was hesitant at first, he hadn't wanted Sam's position to be taken but he wasn't being realistic, she wasn't coming back, there was no reason to keep her job open.  
  
Captain Reese was a tall man, over 6-foot. It was strange, really, the CO was a petite, and according to many of the men of the base very attractive and her 2IC was half a foot taller than she was. Reese was not only tall but very well built, he might even give Teal'c a run for his money. His hair was a darker shade of blonde and his eyes were the same brown as Jack's. He was a young man of only 29.  
  
To Jack it was funny, the differences between the Commanding Officer and her Second in Command. One would think that Reese was the CO of the team, upon meeting them for the first time. But, in reality Roberts had him wrapped around her finger, and he followed her orders with 110 precision. It reminded him of when Sam had been his 2IC, but even Sam was defying every now and then, although it was never anything major. With Reese, however, it was doubtful he would ever go against an order.  
  
Reese had started at the SGC years back, when he was a Lieutenant, as a member of SG-8. When he was promoted to Captain he was asked to join SG-1, and who would turn that opportunity down?  
  
They approached what Jack assumed was the defide's home. It was similar to one you would find on Earth; a cabin made out of dark wood. No doorbells, Daniel informed them, they hadn't invented them yet. So, Jack knocked and a few seconds later a man around his age, with slightly graying hair answered the door.  
  
"Ah," he said when he saw Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, nice to see you again. Come in, come in."  
  
The five entered the house and the defide showed them into what Jack assumed was the living room.  
  
"Do any of you thirst?" He asked, even more formal than Teal'c.  
  
Each shook their head and sat. The defide sat as well. "I assume that this man is the leader of your Stargate program."  
  
"Yes," Jack said, "I'm General O'Neill."  
  
"It is nice to meet you, General. I am Defide Alani."  
  
"Alani?"  
  
"Trintan Alani is my full name."  
  
"Jonathan O'Neill, most just call me Jack, you can call me General."  
  
"And you can call me Defide."  
  
Jack nodded and sent a "is this over almost over" look towards Daniel, who shrugged. "Defide Alani, you spoke of a technology your scientist were working on, something called the Unagi?"  
  
"Yes, yes, Unagi. It is a device that allows one to read another's thoughts."  
  
"Really?" Jack asked, his interest peaked.  
  
"It is still in the experimental stages, General."  
  
Jack eyed the man suspiciously, "If you say so."  
  
Around that time Teal'c and Captain Reese both stood abruptly and began to make their way towards the doors of the house; Teal'c to the front, Reese to the back. It was then that Jack understood why they were behaving so strangely. Heavy footfall could be heard in the distance, barely audible but when one heard it they knew immediately who and only who those heavy steps belonged to; Jaffa.  
  
Jack stood and hovered over the Defide, "Who's coming?" He demanded. When the man did not answer him he pulled him out of his chair, "WHO IS COMING?!?" He yelled.  
  
"I had no choice," the man said in a small, weak voice. "They gave me no choice."  
  
"WHO?!?"  
  
"The one you call Ba'al," he answered, shaking in Jack's grip. "He threatened our planet, I had no choice."  
  
Jack let go of him and he fell to the floor, "Daniel, Roberts, get ready. We've got company." He followed Teal'c to the front door and peered out. They weren't coming from that direction, "Reese?!" He called out.  
  
"They're coming in this direction, Sir! Less than a click away."  
  
"Shit," he muttered, "How many?"  
  
"From what I can tell nearly a hundred."  
  
A string of curses came from both Jack and Roberts. Nobody had time to pay mind to the dirty words coming out of such a petite woman as Roberts, however. "Out the front then!" He yelled.  
  
Daniel was the first to exit, followed by Reese and Roberts. Teal'c stayed behind with him as Jack went once again into the living room to seek out Alani. He was still lying on the floor, shaking.  
  
"Get up!" Jack yelled out at him.  
  
He stood slowly, "I am sorry."  
  
"Yeah, well. You'd better be. Get out of here."  
  
He looked at him confused.  
  
"Look," Jack sighed, "if they come and we're gone they'll kill you. Get out of here, follow my people." When Alani didn't move he shouted out at him again, "GO!"  
  
Alani scurried out the door and Jack made his way to the back to check on how far away they were, it was going to be a close call. "Come on Teal'c," Jack said, going back towards the front, "let's get out of here."  
  
They got to the front door just as a blow from a staff hit him in the leg, he fell down immediately. Teal'c stopped shot at the man who had hit him with the zat gun, then began to help him up. "No!" He called out, "Get out of here, Teal'c."  
  
"I will not leave you, O'Neill." Teal'c said, pulling him up.  
  
Jack let out a painful grunt; the sounds of Jaffa footfall were getting closer. "I won't let them get you too, Teal'c. Go, and that's an order."  
  
"Very well," he said letting him down slowly, a painful look in his eyes. "I will return with help, O'Neill."  
  
"I'll hold you to that," he said as Teal'c nodded and ran out the door. As he lay on the ground the sounds of metal hitting hardwood floors rang in his ears and he began to pull himself towards the hallway, hoping to escape capture. But, it was a halfhearted attempt and before he made it halfway to his destination he felt the electricity of a zat gun pass through his body, then he gave way to the darkness.  
  
XXXX  
  
A/N: Dun, dun, dun. Evil Laugh. Don't 'cha just love cliffhangers? Let me know how you like it so far, if it's total crap tell me so, I'll try and fix it. Flames are allowed, but not exactly necessary! Hey, guys, I don't speak Latin, so if defide doesn't mean :of the faith" then it's my dictionary's fault, blame it. I read the definition as a fluke anyway, I was looking up something else. But, anyway... yeah. I took French in school... which probably couldn't tell you much about that language either. Oh, and if you're wondering about "John Doe", i'm about half way through with the next chapter. So be patient, maybe by the end of the day today or the beginning of tomorrow it will be out. Maybe. 


	4. Chapter Four

Title: When All Else Fails  
  
Chapter: Four  
  
Disclaimer: See every single previous chapter.  
  
A/N: Ok. So, I already had the first three chapters done before I even started posting this story, so this'll be my first recent a/n. Anyway, you guys are so awesome! The reviews I've been getting are just great, I'm so thrilled you like my story, because to tell you the truth I wasn't very sure about it when I posted it! Thanks again! You guys rock!  
  
XXXX  
  
He regretted waking immediately. It was cold, very cold, and every single muscle in his body ached. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him for waking, something he understood very well. Where was he?, he wondered. What day was it? What time was it? How long had he been out? Was anybody even looking for him at this point? Had Teal'c and the others made it alive? Why was he talking to himself?  
  
Since he was lying on the ground seeing anything was pretty much an issue. He began to pull himself off of the floor, groaning through the pain, which was another thing he regretted instantaneously. As soon as the groan escaped his lips the all to familiar sounds of Jaffa footfall penetrated the silence, causing him to groan once more. Great, he thought, just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse.  
  
A big, ugly Jaffa pulled him up to his feet, and stood at least half a foot taller than he was. The large, dark skinned man growled curses at him in Goa'uld, and although he wasn't up to date on the language he understood the words coming from the man. Jack said nothing and stared straight ahead, not looking into the Jaffa's eyes. That would be stupid.  
  
"General O'Neill," came a sickly familiar voice from behind the huge Jaffa. "How nice to see you again." The voice was smooth and sarcastic. That voice would haunt him for the rest of his life.  
  
He leaned over, to look past the Jaffa. "Ba'al!" He said, with fake enthusiasm. "Buddy! I gotta tell you, the welcoming committee needs some work. They're not very..." he looked back at the Jaffa, "welcoming."  
  
The Goa'uld smirked. "Indeed they are not." He took a step forward, "Where are the others?"  
  
"Others?" Jack asked, "What others?"  
  
The smirk faded, "Do not play ignorant with me, General. You know of whom I speak."  
  
"Oh them?" He said, as if he just then realized who he was speaking of. "They're gone," he shrugged, "sorry. But, if you give me a message, I'll let them know you were thinking of them."  
  
"So funny," Ba'al hissed, "do you not realize the situation you are in, O'Neill?"  
  
"Oh, I realize it more than you know." Jack told him, "I just give a damn."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"'Cos no matter how much you torture me," at this Ba'al smiled, "I won't tell you a damned thing."  
  
The smile disappeared. "I disagree. You will tell me whatever I need to know."  
  
"Yeah," he said, thinking it over. "Not gonna happen, sorry."  
  
That sickening smirk appeared once more, "If you say so, O'Neill." He looked at Tall Jaffa, "Do with him what you wish, Vol'ture."  
  
A smile spread across Vol'ture's face. Jack decided he didn't like that smile much, and maybe he shouldn't have mouthed off like he had. Other than his thoughts the last thing he remembered after that was various hits to various spots, and then a extremely painful blow to him stomach, then there was nothing.  
  
XXXX  
  
Groaning was something that was becoming very familiar to him; he realized this as the gold top slid open. He was in a sarcophagus. Great, he thought, Vol'ture must've had some fun.  
  
He sat up in the sarcophagus and a wave of nausea washed over him; he swayed slightly and grabbed on to the edge of the sarcophagus, hoping to keep his balance. A splitting headache made its presence known and he groaned again. In the distance the familiar sounds of Jaffa footfall could be heard, there were a lot of them, no chance of escape. He scanned the room, it was empty but he could see that outside of the room there were guards. He attempted to get out of the sarcophagus, but his legs felt like jelly and he knew he wouldn't be able to stand on his own. So for the time being he was going to sit and wait, for what? More torture he assumed, that was Ba'al's way.  
  
Turned out he was right, nearly ten minutes later Ba'al entered the room surrounded by his Jaffa posse. He stifled a groan as he was pulled out of the sarcophagus and carried to a familiar room. This time, he allowed the groan to escape his lips.  
  
"You remember it, do you?" Ba'al asked, "Fond memories, aren't they?"  
  
Jack said nothing as he was placed up against the strange wall. And he still said nothing as the first knife flew from Ba'al's hand and dug into his flesh. He cried out in pain as the second one tore into his stomach and again as the third found a spot next to the second. Ba'al smirked and let another go.  
  
As the thirteenth knife jabbed into his ribs, settling into what he guessed was a lung, the pain became too much to bear and he passed out again.  
  
XXXX  
  
The torture went on for days and by the fifth he had all but given up. He didn't have the strength to keep on with this and soon enough Ba'al would get tired with the torture and give up, having known from the beginning that Jack would never give up any information to him.  
  
He was passed out on the floor of a room similar to the one he had once occupied. At first he forgot the trick to it and when the lever was pushed he went flying to the ground. After that he made sure to stay lying on the floor, just in case Vol'ture came back to bring him to Ba'al.  
  
"Jack," a soft, feminine voice whispered. He didn't look up; figuring it was his mind playing tricks on him. When the voice called out his name for the second time he realized that it wasn't his mind, it was Sam. He looked up and his tired, weary brown eyes met her shimmering blue ones. Although, they weren't shimmering because she was happy, he saw the traces of died tears on her cheeks. He didn't know ascended beings could cry.  
  
"Sam," he forced. He would have said more, but he was so tired. So tired.  
  
"Don't talk," she whispered to him, "It's ok, I'm going to get you out of here. Please, don't give up. I'll figure something out."  
  
"Hurry," he whispered back to her.  
  
She clenched her jaw and looked up when she heard the sounds of footfall, looking back at him once again she disappeared and he prepared himself for whatever else Ba'al had to throw at him. Now he had hope.  
  
XXXX  
  
She came back on the seventh day, her eyes bright and hopeful. He pulled himself up to a sitting position and listened to her prattle on. She had a plan.  
  
"I'm going to get you out of her Jack," she whispered excitedly. "SG-1, SG-3, and SG-6 are on their way here as we speak. I know, I know, how are they going to get in here? That's where I come in ... trust me, Jack. I'm going to take care of that."  
  
"No," he whispered back to her, "Oma ... will descen-"  
  
"I don't care," she told him hastily. "I won't sit here and watch you die. I can't do that."  
  
"You have to," he told her. "I don't want you to be punish-"  
  
"I ... don't ... care." She told him, once again. "If the only way I can stay here is by watching you be tortured and eventually killed I don't want to be here. I won't let this continue any further, you just hold on for me, ok? They're almost here."  
  
Noises could be heard from the hallway, somebody was coming. She became invisible, but he could still feel her there, holding onto him. Whatever force shield changed the gravity in the room was pulled and Jack was on his feet once again. Instead of his legs giving way and him falling to the ground like every other time two strong, loving arms kept him standing. Vol'ture entered the room, that disgusting smile on his face.  
  
He grabbed Jack and her arms were gone, he heard her whisper "hold on" into his ears and then he was alone, excpet for Vol'ture who wasn't very comforting. Vol'ture dragged him towards the torture room and Jack tried to float off to another place, but like every other time it was impossible. Today the method of torture was the acid, Jack gritted his teeth as the first drop hit his flesh, and ate its way through tissue and muscle. Soon, he thought, soon this will all be over.  
  
XXXX  
  
2 days earlier:  
  
StarGate Command  
  
The gate whirled and Davis' voice filled the air, "Unscheduled off world activation!"  
  
Daniel and Teal'c were the first to make it to the control room, followed by General George Hammond, who was watching over the base until Jack was found and returned. Hopeful looks were found on the faces of all three, maybe SG-5 had been successful.  
  
Only, it wasn't SG-5's iris code that Siler called out.  
  
"It's SG-1 sir," he said with confusion.  
  
Daniel and Teal'c shared a look, SG-1 was on Earth, they had been for nearly 5 hours.  
  
"Perhaps it is Bra'tac," Teal'c said.  
  
"Maybe," Daniel mumbled.  
  
"Open the iris," Hammond directed. Davis obeyed and the metal swooshed open, showing the shimmering liquid.  
  
Seconds later a figure stepped through and everybody in the room gasped.  
  
"It's Sam!" Daniel called out, making his way to the stairs and running down them, Hammond and Teal'c right behind him. He ran into the 'Gate room and met her just as she came off of the ramp. "Sam," he called out. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Sam smiled sadly, "It's Jack."  
  
"What about him, Colonel?" Hammond asked, stepping up beside of Daniel.  
  
"Sir, I know where he is."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Ba'al has him on P2Q-143. Sir, I would advise you get your best teams, SG-1 included, and get there as soon as you can. He's not doing well, I think he's given up hope of being rescued. Don't worry about how you'll get to him, I'll help."  
  
"But Sam-" Daniel started.  
  
"Please don't, Daniel. I know what the consequences will be; frankly at this point in time I don't give a damn. I won't let him die." She stared at him defiantly, he said nothing further. "General," she said, looking at Hammond again. "He has a mother ship landed on the planet, that's where Jack is being held. It's about 23 clicks northeast front the Gate. I will show whatever teams you send the way, but I cannot stay with them the whole time. If they are in need of help, I will know and come to their aid. Other than that, for the long journey they're on their own. I'll need to be with Jack and preparing for what I need to do."  
  
"What is that exactly?" Hammond asked.  
  
She sighed, "Not sure yet, sir. Whatever it takes."  
  
He nodded, "I understand." He glanced at his watch; "It's 2234 right now. SG teams 1, 3, and 6 will leave at approx. 2345. I will have them ready and briefed by 2330, then they're all yours." He looked at Daniel and Teal'c, "Go tell the others." The two ran off and Hammond and Sam were alone.  
  
"You understand what you are doing, right Colonel?"  
  
"Yes, sir. I do."  
  
"Just making sure." He was silent for a moment, "Bring him back, Sam."  
  
She clenched her jaw, "I intend to."  
  
XXXX  
  
A/N: Dun, Dun, Dun. I LOVE cliffhangers, don't you? Anyway, let me know what'cha think about this chapter, and once again thanks for all the awesome reviews. For those of you who have been asking if Sam was going to descend I have only one thing to say... DUH! Lol, come on guys, not being mean or anything but it says so in my summary. And, why would I have her not? That would be cruel. Lol, thanks for the concern anyway.

Anyway, the day I'm uploading this is my powderpuff football game day! Pray for us Sophmores, we're going up against the Seniors!


	5. Chapter Five

Title: When All Else Fails  
  
Chapter: Five  
  
Disclaimer: The shows not my creation, the story, however, is mine. You can't have it.  
  
A/N: I really didn't intend for my story to make people tear up like they have said they did. I'll put a warning up on my summary, I guess. What, Kleenex warning or something like that? Anyway, I'll try not to make it too sad! No promises though.  
  
All right, I'm adding this after writing this chapter. This is a tear jerkier from the beginning. Sorry, I tried, really. I did.  
XXXX  
  
When she came again he was lying in a crumpled heap on the cold, hard floor. She wasn't sure if he was asleep, or if he just didn't care but she studied him for a couple of seconds. Instead of the normal, stoic demeanor of her former CO she saw an exhausted, weak shell of a man who'd all but given up. She sat down on the floor by him and gently called out his name. He jolted forward, his eyes searching the room for signs of danger, when they fell upon her they softened but the hard, twisted expression on his face didn't. God, what she wouldn't give to turn back time, stop all of this before it even happened. But she didn't have time to waste on what could have been, she had the opportunity to change it, and as soon as the SG teams arrived she would take it.  
  
He didn't speak, she knew it was because he didn't have the strength to. He raised his hand to brush her cheek, but it passed right through. She looked away, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes. He groaned, getting her attention, and she looked back at him. His eyes, normally bright and shimmering were dull and filled with tears she knew he would never allow to fall. She smiled weakly, feeling her own tears brimming behind her eyes, though she held them back. She figured that if she faltered, he'd falter. That would be dangerous, for the both of them.  
  
He groaned again before he passed out, again looking like nothing more than a crumpled heap on a drab, gray floor. To her he seemed tattered, broken. She could think of many times when he had been less than strong and heroic, but never had he seemed this far-gone. Not even when he was dying of the cold and internal bleeding in the Antarctic, even when the ancient outpost had completely taken over his mind and he was seconds away from dying as a result. This, seeing him so hopeless, it scared the hell out of her. Jack didn't give up hope, only once had she seen him do so in the more than 9 years she knew him, and that was when he had been stranded on Endora.  
  
In her mind she could see Daniel, Teal'c, the rest of SG-1, the marines of SG-3, and SG-6 nearing the mothership, and a bunch of Jaffa guards in their path, almost 2 clicks ahead. She would have to leave him, to save him, and go to the others. Looking back at him one last time she left, praying to God that he would make it out safely. Knowing that no matter what, if they all made it through, things would never be the same.  
  
XXXX  
  
Daniel was walking when he noticed a bare, milky white arm swinging beside him. His head snapped around, towards the arm. Not surprisingly, it was Sam who the arm belonged to. She didn't look very happy; in fact it was exactly the opposite. The look on her face, in her eyes, was grave and determined. She didn't speak, but looked ahead and then disappeared.  
  
When she reappeared it was right in front of him, he jumped and nearly yelled out, she startled him so badly. Normally he would have expected her to laugh, or at least a smart-ass comment out of Jack. But neither was going to happen, Jack wasn't there and Sam's soul was wherever he was. Until he was safe her sense of humor, her laughter, her smile, they were nothing more than fleeting memories. He stopped suddenly, as did all the others, expectant looks gazing intensely at her.  
  
"You're headed straight for Jaffa," she told them. "I can't do anything until we're absolutely sure that it will lead to Jack's return. Because once the others find out I'm gone, and I can't help you anymore. I won't let that happen." She pursed her lips, "Go west for about one click, that area is clear. From then I'll instruct you further. If anything happens, I'll be here immediately." And as soon as she had appeared she was gone. They turned west and began walking.  
  
It wasn't long before she returned again and told them to start walking north, almost two clicks. She said she had to go. Jack wasn't doing very well and she wanted to do everything to keep him holding on. Ba'al seemed to be taking his time with torturing him, and this time instead of doing it painfully and quickly he was starving him, watching him die slowly. They all understood and let her go without a word.  
  
There were a few scattered Jaffa along the way, nothing to be alarmed about; they were dealt with immediately. It was good, in all truths, they got extra weapons. By the time Sam returned again they had come across four Jaffa, who must have been hunting something.  
  
"We're only half an hour away," she informed them. "As long as you keep going in this direction you shouldn't come across any groups of Jaffa, and there are no locals that you could stumble upon. I'll lead the way when you get to the ship, I've been drifting around it, finding the best route." She laughed bitterly, "Everything has a backdoor, even Goa'uld motherships. If anything bad should happen, I could wipe out the entire planet if I wanted too. I wouldn't, but I could. I'm going to go through the ship one more time, then I'll come back."  
  
"Hold up a second," Roberts called out. "How are we getting off of this planet? We can't get back to the 'gate without somebody catching us."  
  
"There's a cargo bay right by the cell Jack is being held in," she explained. "We can steal a ship and Teal'c can fly it to the nearest planet with a Stargate."  
  
Reese had a question, too. "Which planet would that be?"  
  
"P3Q-331. The inhabitants are called the Shien; the planet itself is called Tiahha. They're simple people, we went on a mission there about 3 years ago."  
  
She asked if there were anymore questions, then, upon receiving a 'no', left. Daniel found himself feeling anxious, his stomach twisting into knots, hoping that everything was going to turn out all right.  
  
XXXX  
  
"It's almost over," she whispered to him. "Just hold on a little longer, Jack. It'll be over soon."  
  
He blinked at her, shaking his head. "Don't waste yo-"  
  
"Damn it, Jack, stop. I'm not going to let you give up on me, you hear?" For once she was glad that she could be invisible to everybody but him and that she could yell and scream all she wanted, nobody else would hear, unless she wanted them to. "I am not doing all of this just so you can give in."  
  
A small, sad smile appeared on his lips. "You never did follow orders," he joked.  
  
"Please don't do that," she asked, "don't joke."  
  
He nodded, lying his head on the ground. "Go help them," he told her. "The sooner they get here, the sooner I get out."  
  
She nodded and disappeared, but didn't leave the room right away. She watched as he struggled to get comfortable on the cold, hard ground, a wince on his face. She wished she could reach out and hold him, comfort him, anything. She would soon, she told herself. The others were close by, pretty soon and this would all be over. He would be home, safe, and she ... she would be descended. Whether she would be sent back to Earth or some other planet was still unknown, but no matter what she would find her way back to him.  
  
XXXX  
  
It was dark when they made it to the mothership. It was bright, gold, and shinning in the moonlight. It stood tall and gleaming, something that could be viewed as beautiful, if not for the dangers that lurked in its walls. He felt himself shiver as he stood there, gazing up at it in wonder, it was bigger than any they had come across before, and the others were just as awestruck as he was. Brighter, too, he noticed. The gold shimmered more, and he found himself reaching out to touch it. It was cold, that was what he noticed first. He almost pulled his hand away, but before he did he noticed that it felt rough and uneven, not how a Goa'uld would have it. It would normally be smooth and polished, Ba'al was slacking.  
  
"Shouldn't Colonel Carter be here by now?" Major Sanders, a member of SG-6, asked.  
  
"She should," Daniel said, eyeing the ship once more. "Maybe something's gone wrong."  
  
"Indeed, I do not believe that to be true, DanielJackson."  
  
"Huh?" He asked, turning around looking at Teal'c. "Why?"  
  
"Look to your left, Doctor Jackson." Robertson said.  
  
He did so, "Oh. Hey, Sam."  
  
She was frowning, "They're not going to be taking him away for torture anytime soon. Right now Ba'al is trying out something new, starvation. Jack hasn't had anything to drink or eat in almost four days, and the Jaffa haven't exactly been too nice to him. He's weak, bruised, and hungry. I don't think he'll last another day in this condition. If we're going to do anything, then we'd better do it now. From what I know Ba'al is asleep now, which doesn't actually mean much, there are still Jaffa littering the entire ship."  
  
"What's the plan, Colonel?" A SG-3 marine asked.  
  
She took a deep breath, "I go first, alone, and make a ... path for you guys to follow. If there is Jaffa I distract them, or get rid of them, which ever is necessary. I know where he is being held. Like I told you before next to the room he's in is a cargo bay. We steal a ship, fly it to P3Q-331, and gate home."  
  
They soaked in then information, going over the plan of action in their heads, then all murmured words of agreement. She breathed deeply again, uncertainty passing through her eyes. Then, with a look of determination she asked, "Is everybody ready?"  
  
XXXX  
  
He was sleeping when he heard the shouts, they were panicked though he could clearly tell they came from Jaffa, one voice even sounded like it belonged to Vol'ture. He pulled himself up, off of the floor, and stood, wavering for the first seconds before steadying himself. Looking up, he tried to figure out what was happening. Were Sam and the rest of them attempting to rescue him already?  
  
There was nothing he could do but stand and wait; dumbly looking upwards, silently praying to make it out safely. Then he saw her; she was with him, down in that godforsaken hellhole.  
  
"They're on their way," she told him, her voice faltering. "You should probably lay down."  
  
He understood, once they flipped that switch the gravity would change, that he would fall.  
  
"I have to go now, Jack." She said gravely. "Oma knows what I've done, I have to take my punishment. Be safe, Jack. I love you."  
  
As soon as she had appeared she was gone, he laid on the ground, waiting for Danny, T, and the others. Footsteps could be heard, from many people who were running.  
  
"Jack!" The voice was distinctly Daniel's. They had made it; he was going to get out. Suddenly, he was standing again and he could get out of the room. He followed the others as they ran to a room right next to the one he had just escaped from. He was confused at first, but then he saw the ships, it was a cargo bay. One ship was already open and waiting for them to get aboard. They did and Teal'c took the wheel, or rather the controls.  
  
"Where are we going?" He asked as they took off, finally able to rest.  
  
"P3Q-331." Reese told him, "How are you, sir?"  
  
"A little thirsty, stomachs been growling. Food would be nice."  
  
"Of course," almost immediately a MRE was in front of him, never in his life had he been so happy to see one of those things. He dug into it, eating at record speed. When he was finished he sat with Daniel, he had a few things to ask him about.  
  
XXXX  
  
A/N: So, the explanation on how they got him out will be in the next chapter, coming from everybody's favorite spacemonkey. Sorry if this was a sad chapter, too. Anyway, let me know how this chapter turned out. The more (nice) reviews that I get the more motivated I'll be to get the next chapter out! 


	6. Chapter Six

Title: When All Else Fails  
  
Chapter: Six  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter.  
  
A/N: Bare with me guys, I know its kind of a dumb thing to do, but I'm writing this story without having seen Daniel's descending. So, I'm winging it.  
XXXX  
  
Daniel seemed to know what he wanted to talk about immediately, which didn't surprise him much. There were no chairs, of course, so the two sat down on the floor of the ship, face to face. Daniel was the first to break the silence.  
  
"She'll be fine, Jack." He told him, "They wouldn't do anything bad to her, you have to know that."  
  
"I do," he sighed. "I know that it's likely that they will just descend her, but that's what's bothering me the most. When you descended they didn't send you home, and you couldn't even remember anything. Hell, as far as I know they could have sent her to a planet that we've never been to, or one that we'll never even come across."  
  
Daniel nodded, "That's true. But, we'll find her, Jack."  
  
He turned and looked out the large window, they were currently in hyperspeed so not much could be made out, but the view was amazing. He found himself wondering about all the magnificent things Sam had seen during her time as an ascended being, or, if she would continue down that path (Oma willing), the wonderful things she would see in the future. He wondered about what Daniel had seen while he was ascended, what would that be like?  
  
"You ok?" Daniel asked, taking him out of his thoughts. Jack looked at him, eyes blank. He wasn't sure how to answer that question, was he ok?  
  
Daniel took his silence as an answer in itself; "Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
He shook his head and Daniel nodded, he understood that it was a hard subject for Jack, it had been for over a year. Ever since she ascended. He began to stand, to give Jack some time alone when he started to talk. "You know, I expected more from her, while she was ascended." It was a short statement, and Daniel didn't quite understand it so he sat back down, Jack continued. "I mean, after you ascended you appeared to us a couple of times, and I understood why you didn't come that frequently, you had more important things to do, you were saving the world in your own way then. But, with Sam, I thought I meant more to her, I thought she would come by and see me more often, just because she loved me." Daniel's head snapped at that, like he hadn't expected it. "It upset me, I never admitted it, but it made me think that maybe she didn't care as much as she said she did, maybe she had just been trying to make me feel better. You know, like some sort of parting gift, out of sympathy."  
  
"That's not true, Jack." Daniel told him.  
  
He sighed, "I know that, I was being selfish then, I didn't take the time to stop and think how seeing me would effect her. I didn't think about how seeing me would make her feel, if she was telling the truth when she told me she loved me. I mean, it was hard enough for me to see her, knowing my feelings. How must have it made her feel, she's the one who decided to leave, after all. I don't think she ever fully forgave herself for ascending, even though it was her only chance. I guess I understand now, but I wasn't really thinking about her before, like I said, selfish."  
  
Daniel didn't say anything more; he just gave Jack a half nod, as if to say that he understood how he felt. He stood slowly and quietly, meanwhile Jack shut his eyes and rest his head against a wall of the cargo ship, maybe he could catch a few winks. Daniel took one last look at him before he went to join Teal'c, the rest of SG-1, and the other SG teams in the ships "control room".  
  
Jack just continued to sit, with his back against the cool metal of the ship. He let his mind wander, began thinking of miniscule things, mostly about before Sam had ascended. Being in the Antarctic, the mission where they had been "touched", the arm bands, the day she had shown him the ring Pete gave her. If he had known then what he knew sitting in that ship he would have retired long before they had found themselves in that situation, when she had been forced to ascend. He swore that if she got back, when she got back, he would do whatever it took, he just hoped he would get that chance.  
  
XXXX  
  
"You broke the rules," the words cut through her like a knife and she found herself cringing, though she told herself over and over again by saving him she had done the right thing.  
  
"Yes," she stated simply. "I had to."  
  
Oma's voice was harsh, but Sam could also hear understanding in it. She understood why she had to do what she did. "I since that from the day you came it was not your first choice, it was much different than that of Daniel Jackson's ascension. He had desired to be with us, you desired to live, but that does not excuse your actions. They may have been warranted, as were those of Daniel's, but they cannot be excused. You must receive your punishment."  
  
She nodded, but was unable to speak. A lump formed in her throat, this was harder than she thought it would be, leaving a place so beautiful was proving to be very difficult.  
  
"You are to be banished," Oma told her. The familiar swirls of white engulfed her and she floated away.  
  
That was the last thing she remembered.  
  
XXXX  
  
They dropped out of hyperspeed and the planet dubbed P3Q-331 came into view. Thianna, as known by its inhabitants, was a beautiful, earthlike planet mostly covered with dark, blue water. Jack stood in front of the only window (which covered an entire side of the cargo ship) and watched the small planet grow in size as they got nearer and nearer. Once close enough he could make out 2 large landmasses and various islands. The 'gate was located on the larger of the landmasses, a "country" called Shienna, home to the Shien.  
  
He sighed to himself and sat back down in his usual spot, up against a wall in the backup control room, he picked it because it was out of everybody's way. In the four days they had been traveling only 2 people had ventured back there, Daniel and Teal'c. Seems that cargo ships had autopilot, a fact that he hadn't known until he inquired about it. They had both only dropped in to check on him, to try and talk, both with little results. He told them that he just needed some time to himself, he needed it to be quiet. Teal'c had offered to stay with him, without talking, but Jack had declined the offer again, he just wanted to be alone.  
  
Even with all of the quiet he was surrounded by he found it hard to sleep and had only obtained around five hours out of the four days they had been traveling. His eyelids felt heavy, every muscle in his body ached, and his head hadn't quit pounding at full force since they took off. Effects of too much time in the sarcophagus and too much unsupervised time with Ba'al, he figured. He was looking forward to the day he could just stay in and sleep, hoping that day would be soon, but at the same time knowing he wouldn't allow himself to sleep (at least not fully) until they knew for certain about Sam. It was going to be a rough time for him, he already knew it.  
  
He was the last to get off of the cargo ship after it landed, it still seemed a bit surreal, he expected at any moment to wake up and be back in Ba'al's torture room. What had happened to him anyway?, He thought, Daniel had yet to tell him. He figured he'd set it aside for another time.  
  
They apologized to the Shien for dropping in unexpected and begged them to use their Stargate, they allowed them to without any hesitance. Within an hour of their landing they were back home, though to Jack it still didn't feel real. He knew that was normal, when he had made it back home the last time he was suspicious of his surroundings, he was edgy for the first couple of days, not trusting anybody. But, now that was impossible, now he had bigger fish to fry. Now he had to find Sam.  
  
"Welcome home, General O'Neill," was his first greeting from whomever they got to watch over the base while he was away. He nodded politely at the man, mumbled something about taking a much-needed shower and slumped out of the 'gate room. He wasn't really in the mood for a joyous homecoming, at least until that homecoming was for a certain blonde-haired 2IC of his. Then a party would be welcomed, with lots and lots of cake.  
  
After standing under scorching hot water for nearly half an hour, then freezing cold water for a full 5 minutes he left the shower and dressed. Though he wasn't really fond of it he knew his next stop would be to the infirmary, it was a necessity; he (as well as the doctors) needed to know if there was anything wrong with him. Especially since he had returned from days of torture.  
  
Daniel was in the infirmary when he walked in, getting his blood drawn. Dr. Brightman let a nurse take over for her and started with Jack, giving him his shots, checking for Goa'uld, any other diseases, etc. It took nearly two hours for them to finish completely, and even then there were tests that they were waiting to get back. He immediately went to his office, the General who was temporarily taking his place was sitting at his desk, watching the door, waiting for him.  
  
"I've been waiting for a while, General O'Neill." He told him when he sat down in front of his desk, "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Not too peachy," Jack sighed. "We need to discuss Colonel Carter."  
  
"I know," the older man replied, "Doctor Jackson and Teal'c explained it to me upon your arrival."  
  
"Good, then you'll understand why we need to start immediately, and why I want to head the first search team." Jack looked at the man with authority, though by the stars on his uniform he could see that this man, General Knowle, was a Major General.  
  
"I do understand and search teams are already being formed, but General O'Neill, you need to rest. Maybe after you have slept you can go out with a team--"  
  
"I'm fine," Jack said defiantly, cutting off the General. "With all due respect sir, even if you order me to I won't sleep until we find her."  
  
The man sighed and folded his arms over his chest, "I see that." He thought it over and then said, "If your test results come back clean you can head a team, but only when your tests come back and only if you receive a clean bill of health. Otherwise you stay here until you're better, understood?"  
  
"Yes, sir." Jack barked, standing. "Thank you, sir."  
  
"You're welcome, General." Then the professional atmosphere dissipated, "You be careful, Jack. The sooner we find her the better, but I'm sure we'd all rather find her later and safe than sooner and not, agreed?"  
  
Jack nodded and left the room, headed for the commissary. He ate greedily, gluttonously, until he had eaten everything on his plate, then went back for more. He eyed the blue Jell-O and almost grabbed some, to take to Sam, but then remembered she wouldn't be waiting for him at a table. He wasn't sure why he had even had the impulse, he hadn't had the need for many months. So, instead he grabbed some red Jell-O along with his second plate, then sat back down.  
  
As soon as he did so Daniel entered the room, got some coffee, and sat down at the table with Jack. The two sat in silence for a while, Daniel drinking his caffeine and Jack, again, eating way to fast. When he pushed his plate aside and reached for his Jell-O he spoke to Daniel, breaking the uncomfortable silence.  
  
"How did she do it?" He asked, taking his first bite of Jell-O. "I mean, what did she do? What happened to Ba'al?"  
  
Daniel tilted his head to one side, thinking of how to explain what had happened. "Well, she kind of just ... whipped them all out."  
  
"The Jaffa?"  
  
Daniel nodded.  
  
"They're dead?"  
  
Another nod.  
  
"And Ba'al ... he's dead, too?"  
  
"We believe so, yes." Daniel smiled momentarily, "You should have seen her, Jack. She was so pissed off, whoever said hell hath no fury like a woman scorned must have known her."  
  
"Whatever you say," Jack replied, a confused expression on his face. "When we start to search," he said, taking the seriousness of the conversation up, "I want you, Teal'c, Richards, and Reese on my team."  
  
Daniel nodded, "Of course. Just tell me when."  
  
Jack looked down at the red Jell-O, haphazardly poking his spoon into the gelatin, suddenly his appetite was gone. "As soon as possible," he sighed. "As soon as possible."  
  
XXXX  
  
A/N: Good God, this has taken forever. I've had a really long, rough week. So, this might not be so great as a result. And, yes, I put off Sam's return, yet again. Makes for more drama and suspense, I think. Anyway, let me know what'cha think. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Title: When All Else Fails  
  
Chapter: Seven  
  
Disclaimer: Guess what! I bought them yesterday! They belong to me! No ... wait, that was a dream. Oops, never mind, guess they don't. I'll just borrow them for now, ok?  
  
A/N: Ok guys, remember I have yet to see Daniel's descending, so don't send me any flames if I screw up, please.  
  
XXXX  
  
As soon as possible turned out to be less than twenty-four hours, seems Doc had put a rush on his results. He was fine so in the amount of time it took for him to get ready they already had a mission planned, the first place they would go was the planet Daniel had turned up on, even thought they figured that would be the last place she would be sent to. They were right, she wasn't there. When they got back to the SGC Jack requested to be sent out again, either with the same team or another. He got SG-1 again and they took off for P3X-247, Jack wasn't sure what the reason for him going to this place was, but he figured the higher ups knew what they were doing so went along with whatever their plan of action was.  
  
Turned out she wasn't there either, nor was she at the next fifteen places they went to. By the end of three weeks the SG teams were back on their normal schedule, all except for SG teams 1, 3, 4, 6, and 8; they had been designated search teams. They continued looking, and it wasn't soon before they had gone to over one hundred planets with no positive results.  
  
Almost two months after they had returned Jack was back in power, and though they had told him he was not to continue going with the SG teams to search he still snuck away with them when he got the chance. One planet that had figured out gate travel had said something about seeing a woman who looked different from the inhabitants of a certain planet, maybe it was her. But, when they went to check it out it wasn't, Jacks hopes were ones again squashed.  
  
A month after that, three since Jack's return, they were ordered to stop searching, Sam was declared MIA. Jack refused to accept this, and though no teams were sent out for the soul purpose of finding her he made sure each SG team knew to ask and search upon their arrival and once again before leaving.  
  
At the three and a half months mark he had all but given up hope, he was beginning to doubt that she had even descended. He figured, though, that if she hadn't she would come to him, to tell him to stop searching. That hadn't happened, so he kept a little glimmer of hope. There was the chance that they would one day find her; he hung on to that chance for dear life.  
  
So, every day that he went into the office he wondered "is today the day she comes back?" and ever day as he left he wondered whether tomorrow would be that day. With each passing day his disappointment and doubt grew and by the fourth month he had little hope that they would ever find her again. Though, that didn't keep him from searching, he vowed that until they found her, or the day he died, which ever came first, they would search for her. No sooner would they stop, he would not admit defeat.

He wouldn't stop until she was home.  
  
XXXX  
  
"Morning, Daniel," he greeted his friend sleepily on the first day of month four, as he sat down with a cup of coffee in the commissary. "Got anywhere with that new rock of yours?"  
  
"Artifact," Daniel corrected him, "It's an artifact. As a matter of fact, yes, I have gotten somewhere with it, it's Aztec in origin, I know that much from the writing, although much more advanced than any of the native cultures we've come across so far. I believe that-"  
  
"Ahhh!" Jack said, holding up his hands, "No ... more..." he said, feigning discomfort, "please."  
  
Daniel, obviously in a good mood, laughed at his friend. "Hey, you asked," he said, sipping his own cup of coffee.  
  
"Yes," he agreed, "but, I figured you would know by now that when I ask how something is going, I usually don't really care."  
  
"I know," Daniel said with a smirk, getting up from the table. "I need to go work on that 'rock', is what they pay me for, anyway."  
  
"Don't forget briefing room at 0900 hours."  
  
"How could I?" He asked, then after thought about his question backtracked, "No. Wait. Don't answer that."  
  
Jack smiled, "Your rock and my paperwork awaits, Danny boy, hop to."  
  
The younger man smiled and the two friends parted ways, one looking forward to the day the other ... not so much. He passed Teal'c in the hallway who smiled at him in his Jaffa way.  
  
"Good day, O'Neill." Teal'c greeted him.  
  
"Clearly you haven't seen the stack of paperwork on my desk, T." Jack replied, frowning. "Long day is more like it."  
  
"I am sorry, O'Neill. I am to accompany SG-8 to the alpha sight today." A look of discontent passed through his eyes, Jack was surprised. "I am not looking forward to it." Teal'c confessed, frowning himself. "Perhaps you could find a reason for which my services would be required here on earth."  
  
Jack laughed, motioning for Teal'c to follow him into his office. "Are you asking me to lie for you, Teal'c?"  
  
"Indeed," he said, doing his head bow. "I am."  
  
"Well," Jack sighed, opening the door and entering into his office. "I'll see what I can do, you're not really needed at the Alpha site, are you?"  
  
"Indeed, my presence is not required." Teal'c told him, sitting down in a chair in front of Jack's desk.  
  
Jack sat down as well and looked through the memos for the day (with his new job it was a requirement, no more ignoring them). "Hmm," he picked up one in particular, "we're expecting Bra'tac in a couple of hours, is there something you two need to discuss about the Jaffa rebellion?"  
  
Teal'c thought about this, "I believe that he is bringing news from Rya'c."  
  
"Well," Jack said, throwing up his hands. "There you go, I'll inform SG-8 that you will not be leaving with them. Until then you can go, I've got a lot to do. I'll send Bra'tac to you when he arrives."  
  
"I give thanks to you O'Neill." Teal'c said with another nod of the head, "I, as the Tauri say, 'owe you one'."  
  
Jack chuckled, "I'll hold you to that, T. Now go on before I change my mind."  
  
Teal'c gave him a look that said, "I know you're joking, but I'm not going to take my chances" and quickly walked out of the room. Jack just laughed as he went, then got started on a long day of paperwork.  
  
XXXX  
  
Jack glanced at his watch with a yawn, it was already 2145, SG-8 would be leaving in any minute. Teal'c, along with Bra'tac had long since gone off to discuss some nonexistent news, with Jack's blessing of course. He sighed thinking that he should really get down to the control room and see them off, that was, of course, one of his never ending jobs as General.  
  
Fifteen minutes later they left and five minutes after that Teal'c resurfaced in Jack's office.  
  
"Thank you a-gain, O'Neill." Teal'c said, sitting down. "I am very grateful for your assistance."  
  
"No prob," he replied. "So, how is Bra'tac doing?"  
  
"He is currently sleeping in his quarters, awaiting our venturing to the surface tonight."  
  
"Really?" Jack asked, "Where you going?"  
  
"I have convinced him to a movie."  
  
"At a theater?"  
  
Teal'c nodded, "Indeed."  
  
"Which movie?"  
  
Teal'c smiled his half-smile, "Star Wars is playing at one of the smaller chain theaters tonight, along with many other sci-fi movies. We are going to view them all."  
  
"Lucky him," Jack quipped, resting his elbows on his desk and leaning forward. "How's Rya'c?  
  
"He is well."  
  
Jack smiled, "You really go into detail, T."  
  
Teal'c nodded, "I must return to my quarters, O'Neill. I am overdue for kel'no'reem."  
  
"I thought you didn't have to do that anymore."  
  
"Indeed, I do not." Teal'c told him, "It is, however, very ... relaxing."  
  
"Oh, well, don't let me stop you then."  
  
Teal'c gave him a slight bow, stood from his chair, and left the office. Jack watched him go, then with a sigh went back to his never ending pile of paperwork.  
  
XXXX  
  
It was almost 1800 hours, SG-14 would be back any minute and Teal'c was waiting with Jack in the control room for their return, as well as for Bra'tac to meet up with him so they could go to their movie marathon. SG-14 returned, and Jack sent them to shower and get checked up, but Bra'tac still hadn't come to the control room.  
  
Suddenly a very loud "ouch" and then a string of curses captured both men's attention, immediately they looked to where Siler had been working on one of the computers, a wrench laid on the floor by his foot.  
  
"Siler?" Jack asked, "You ok?"  
  
The sergeant grimaced and nodded, "Fine, sir."  
  
"Go on to the infirmary, Siler, you can work on whatever it was later."  
  
"Thank you, sir." Siler said, then limped off in the direction of the infirmary.  
  
"I swear," Jack sighed, "we should get him steel toed boots, his birthday is coming up, is it not?"  
  
"Indeed, it is." Teal'c said, "It is his, as the Tauri say, 'over-the-hill' birthday."  
  
"Ah," Jack said, "right. Guess I'll do that then."  
  
"It is a good plan, O'Neill."  
  
The sound of the 'gate being dialed came to their attention, and Davis' voice came stopped their conversation. "Unscheduled off world activation!"  
  
"Who's currently off world?" Jack demanded.  
  
"SG's 2, 6, 8, 9, and now 14." Davis said, "There's no IDC."  
  
"Close the iris."  
  
"Wait," Davis called out, "we're getting a code." He looked back at Jack with confusion on his face; "It's SG-1 sir."  
  
Jack looked at Teal'c, "You're all on base, aren't you?"  
  
Teal'c nodded, "Indeed, but Rya'c does have SG-1's code, perhaps it is him."  
  
"Well, open the iris then."  
  
Davis nodded and the iris swooshed back open, just as the 'gate finished dialing. The sparkling blue water of the event horizon went unfazed for minutes, leaving those in the control room waiting and the SF's standing guard in the 'gate room sweating. After awhile the event horizon rippled and a person cloaked in a long, tan robe (hood shadowing his/her face) stepped through.  
  
Every gun in the room was instantly cocked and trained on the unknown person, the SF's ready to fire if directed to do so. Jack, in the control room, was ready to give the order to shoot if necessary and just as his voice came over the intercom the person in the cloak reached her hands (which were distinctly feminine) up and pulled back the hood, blonde hair sprang up and blue eyes darted around the room, she stepped forward.  
  
The SF's, guns still pointed at her, held their breath. In the control room Jack-along with everyone else-gasped out loud. Jack was lost in his thoughts for a moment or so, until one SF turned around and looked straight at him. He shook his head, to rid it of shock, and quickly called over the intercom, "Stand down!"  
  
With a sigh everyone in the 'gate room dropped their weapons, allowing the woman to come further down the ramp. Those in the control room quickly made their way down the stairs and into the 'gate room, shock still showing on their faces. When Jack entered the 'gate room he saw the same looks on every one of the SF's, who were all kept glancing between Jack and the blonde woman standing awkwardly in the middle of the 'gate room, arms folded across her chest.  
  
He bypassed every one of them, heading straight towards the woman whose bright; blue eyes were locked with his. There was a soft expression on her face and a knowing look in the deep, shimmering blue of her eyes. He stopped right in front of her, barley an inch in between them and just stared into those eyes.  
  
After minutes of just standing there (no one in the room making a sound or movement) he finally regained control of his voice and movement. A smile appeared on his face, then one mirroring his own appeared on hers. Before anybody in the room knew it she was in his arms, both holding on for dear life. They stayed in the embrace for what seemed like an eternity before breaking away (though, not completely, he still held her) enough to look at each other.  
  
A tear rolled down her cheek and he gently wiped it away. Then, as if they were the only two in the room, he kissed her, deep and passionately.  
  
There was a dead silence among the others in the room until they broke away, wherein catcalls and cheers ensued. The two participants looked at the group; large smiles spread across their faces, before looking back into each other's eyes, smiles somehow still growing. He pulled her closer, kissed her gently, then rested his forehead against hers, sighing happily.  
  
Upon seeing this all the other occupants of the room filed out, whispering and laughing amongst themselves, all smiling smiles that were similar to the ones on the faces of the two causing all the commotion. Then the room plunged into silence, a long overdue, comfortable silence.  
  
Jack could feel somebody watching him and turned around to see that Teal'c had found Daniel and they had made their way into the control room, both smiling like idiots. He gave them a look and Daniel rolled his eyes before he and Teal'c walked off, they were alone.  
  
He turned back to her, ran a hand through her hair, and pulled her back to him. Their lips met in another deep, passionate kiss and when they broke away both were gasping for air.  
  
Resting his forehead against hers once again, he caught his breath. After they had both done so he pulled back to look into her eyes, there were more tears forming behind them, and few falling. He cupped her face in his hands, and using his thumbs wiped them away.  
  
"Sam," he whispered slowly, breaking the silence, before once again pulling her close to him.  
  
She rested her cheek against his chest, sighed, and then looked back into his eyes. "Jack," she said softly, her voice thick and full with content.  
  
She was finally home.  
  
XXXX  
  
A/N: I'm like grinning like an idiot at the moment, lol. Anyway, I figured it was 'bout time she came home. All will be explained in the next chapter (which, I have already started on). However, I will be out of town until Sunday afternoon, but I can work on the story while I travel. So, anyway, let me know what'cha think! I think that this has made its way to my favorite chapter, although, I'm sure the next one will as well.


	8. Chapter Eight

Title: When All Else Fails  
  
Chapter: Eight  
  
Disclaimer: Had that dream again (not really, but well keep that a secret). Maybe one day it'll come true, eh? But, for now, I'm content with just borrowing them, even if I don't make a profit from doing so.  
  
A/N: So this chapter will weigh in on the fluff I've been waiting to write in! My muse is currently 100 percent satisfied with me right now, after many chapters of cursing me out for no samjack relationship. But making up for that now! I'm sure my muse won't be the only one happy with me for that (I qualify, so that's true no matter what you guys think, but from you're nice reviews i'm not all alone!). Anyway, on with the fluff!  
  
XXXX  
  
Standing there with her in his arms he suddenly began to doubt himself, thinking that maybe he was dreaming, maybe none of this was real. Frantically his hands roamed her body, her face, her shoulders, her arms, their fingers intertwined and he held on, praying that if he let go she would still be there. After he was satisfied that he wasn't dreaming he smiled, "You're real."  
  
She nodded slowly. "I'm real."  
  
A lump formed in his throat, it was difficult to swallow, but he ignored it. "I thought I'd never see you again." Suddenly, he could feel hot tears forming behind his eyes; he ignored them, too. "You don't know how much I've missed you."  
  
She smiled sadly and reached her hand up to caress his cheek, "I'm here, I'm real. And trust me, I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Good," he said defiantly. "I wouldn't let you, even if you wanted to." He smiled and took her hand in his, for the first time in nearly half an hour having her out of his arms. "I know it's not exactly the first stop on your list of places to go after almost two years, but we should really have Doctor Brightman check you out, just in case."  
  
She nodded and allowed him to lead her to the infirmary, holding tightly to his hand, blushing furiously as she noticed all the raised eyebrows and whispered conversations starting as they passed various airmen and nurses. When they got there he let her hand go only long enough for him to turn around while she changed into a hospital gown. Then, he once again held on to her, she wasn't sure he'd ever let go, she didn't want him to.  
  
She wasn't in the infirmary five minutes when Daniel, Teal'c, and about ten other people piled in, each pouring out question after question. Her head began to spin as the Doctor Brightman took her blood, and it wasn't because of the Doctors actions. She could already feel a headache forming, but didn't mind, it was nice to be home.  
  
Jack, however, seemed a bit perturbed. "Guys," he called out over the dull roar, "please! She just got back, could you give her some peace and quiet for a few hours? I'm sure she would love to talk to you after she's gotten her bearings, you wanna give her the chance?"  
  
There was a hush over the infirmary, each person glanced at the others, nodding and murmuring things such as "alright" and "makes sense." Soon everybody besides the doctor, two nurses, Siler (who had broken a toe), two members of SG-2, and Daniel and Teal'c remained (not counting Jack and Sam).  
  
While her test were run his hand rested on her thigh, since her hands needed to be free. After the doc was finished with her he suggested something to eat, her eyes lit up.  
  
"I've had a craving for blue Jell-O for the longest time now," she sighed. "Food sounds great."  
  
They ate quickly, ignoring the stares and whispers coming from the others in the room. When they had finished Jack sat back at watched as she talked with various scientist and airmen, a bright smile on her face. After half an hour he pulled her out of the commissary to the elevator, pushing the button for the 28th floor. When the elevator reached its destination he took her hand her hand and led her to a room down the hall, a knowing look passed through her eyes as they neared it.  
  
Using his card he opened the door and pulled her in with him, then let go of her hand. "What do you think?" He asked, glancing around the room.  
  
"It's exactly the same!" She exclaimed, headed for the desk in the middle of the room, "You didn't change a thing," she smiled. "Thank you, Jack."  
  
His eyes darted around the office again, then back at her. "You can work again as soon as I get the go ahead from the President, and, of course, the doc says that it's ok."  
  
She furrowed her eyebrows, "Am I MIA?"  
  
"Not anymore," he sat down in a chair and motioned for her to sit next to him. "You should call Mark as soon as possible, and I'm sure that somebody has contacted dad by now. But, that's not my only reason for calling the President." He took her hand in his, "I'm going to retire."  
  
"No," she told him, shaking her head. "I won't let you. You love your job too much, I could never live with myself knowing that I'm the reason you're not doing what you love anymore." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, "I'll retire, or take early leave, and then come back to the SGC as an astrophysicist. I could still do the same job, just not as a military official."  
  
It was his turn to say 'no'. "You're too good a soldier to quit, and for me? No, you're going to be a General one day soon, you deserve at least that much, if not more."  
  
"Then what are we going to do about this?" She asked, "I'm not letting you go again, not this time."  
  
He thought it over, "I'll ask the President to drop the frat regs, maybe he'll be in a generous mood, or maybe it could be a coming home gift for you." He smiled, "We should have a party ... with cake. Lots of cake."  
  
She laughed, "That sounds wonderful."  
  
A few minutes later the two left the office and headed for Daniel's, at Sam's insisting. He had been in the infirmary when she was getting her test run, but they hadn't spoken to each other yet. When they reached the young archeologists office he was sitting at his desk talking with Teal'c and Bra'tac (who Jack assumed had cancled their movie plans). When the couple entered the office (hand in hand) the three immediately stood to greet their friend, Daniel was the first to make it to her.  
  
Sam had let go of Jack's hand in order to give all three a long awaited hug. They talked for a few minutes and then she promised them that as soon as she got the chance they would continue to catch up, she wanted to know how their lives had changed in the nearly two years that she had been ascended. At the moment, however, she was sure there were a few things that she need to clear with "General O'Neill". Upon hearing his 'official' name he grabbed her hand again, when he did so she looked at him with a bemused smile.  
  
"We do need to talk as professionals, Jack." She said, "You know that." He frowned and pulled her closer to him, slipping an arm around her waist.  
  
"Already?"  
  
"Yes, sir." She replied, kissing him on the cheek. "Already."  
  
The other three in the room sat silent, watching. Daniel had a smartass smirk on his face (one that said, "it's about damn time"), and both Bra'tac and Teal'c had raised eyebrows. Jack and Sam noticed their expressions, smiled, and told the three that they would meet with them later. Then they left for Jack's office.  
  
XXXX  
  
"So," Jack said sitting at his desk. "Why are you just now coming back?"  
  
She looked down at her hands; "I just remembered everything a few days ago. I was sent to this primitive planet, no electricity, no running water, most of its people were farmers. They say that when they found me I was scarcely dressed, and I was clutching the IDC remote. I didn't even know my name, much less where I had come from and where I belonged. For over three months I racked my brain, trying to find nothing, and for over three months I had little success. I got to the point where I remembered my name, birthday, and that I had once lived on a planet called Earth. But how I had gotten to that planet and where my home was were still unanswered questions, only I had the answers, I just couldn't reach them.  
  
"Then, around two days ago I was bored and decided to take a walk and think, maybe that would help things come back quicker. I wandered off farther than the villagers travel, there was some superstition about venturing off too far from the village, I wasn't quite sure why then, but I'm sure it had something to do with the Stargate. Anyway, it started to get dark and I was about to turn around when I saw it, this massive ring standing out in the middle of nowhere. I didn't know what it was at first, but I walked up to the dial home device and as I traced the symbols it clicked, everything just came flooding back. I immediately ran back to the village and explained what had happened. They wouldn't hear it, the ring was dangerous they said, they didn't want me going back. So, that night I came up with a plan and the next day I snuck off. I knew that they wouldn't realize that I had gone until I was too far off for them to follow. I dialed home and well, here I am."  
  
"Well," Jack said, "that certainly clears a lot of things up. Did you remember anything about being ascended?"  
  
She shook her head, "No. Nothing."  
  
"So, you don't even know why you were banished?"  
  
She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find any words. "No," she finally spit out, "I don't."  
  
Jack nodded, "You saved me."  
  
She looked at him, confusion dancing in her eyes. "How?"  
  
"Ba'al got his grubby little snakehead hands on me again, decided to have some fun. If it wasn't for you he would have killed me."  
  
"What did I do?"  
  
"I don't know, really. Daniel was there when it all happened, he could probably tell you. All I know is you risked everything that comes with being ascended to save me."  
  
"That's not surprising," she said, "since I would do anything to save you."  
  
He smiled, "Oh, that was a good one."  
  
"What? It's true."  
  
"It's still a line."  
  
She shrugged, "Not too much I can do about that....So about this party?"  
  
XXXX  
  
24 hours later:  
  
Sam quietly opened the door to his office, knocking as she did so. He looked up from his telephone conversation and waved her in, she made her way to a chair in front of his desk and sat down. He put up a finger to indicate that he would be done soon and went back to whoever he was on the other end of the red phone.  
  
"Yes, sir." He said, "Of course." He paused, "I understand....No, that's not going to be a problem....I'll let her know....Sir, what we talked about?...Yes, sir, I know that takes time. Until then?...I understand completely....Thank you, sir....Goodbye, sir."  
  
He hung up the phone and ran a hand through his hair, "That was ... an experience."  
  
"The President?" She asked, shifting positions in her chair.  
  
"Yep," he sighed.  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"That you can return to work, part time, in two weeks."  
  
"Part time?!"  
  
He nodded, "No going off world for a month after that."  
  
"A month?!"  
  
"He is the President."  
  
It was her turn to sigh, "Did you ask him about...?"  
  
He nodded, "I did."  
  
"And?"  
  
"He's going to consider it, he basically told me that it was a done deal, but he had to talk it over with some other big wigs. He told me that he would get back to me in a couple of days, four at the most."  
  
"Four days? What did he say that we should do until then?"  
  
"Wait."  
  
She raised an eyebrow, "Wait?"  
  
"Wait and not show any kind of inappropriate behavior around anyone who would report us. And ... I have the week off."  
  
"Really?"  
  
He nodded, "Really."  
  
"So? You can go when?"  
  
"As soon as my fill in gets here."  
  
"Who's that?"  
  
"An old friend."  
  
There was a knock at the door and Jack rose to his feet, "Ah ... that should be him now."  
  
The door opened and General Hammond walked in. A bright smile appeared on her face and she stood up as well, greeting the General with a hug.  
  
"How are you doing?" She asked, letting him out of the hug. "I tried to call, you were out with the girls."  
  
"We've been good, the girls have missed you guys, but they like it in D.C.. They wanted to come, but they had school, and a week is too long to miss."  
  
She nodded, "I understand."  
  
"What about you?" He asked, "How are you and have you heard from Jacob?"  
  
"I'm good ... we contacted the Tok'ra yesterday, they said they would get word out to my father but they weren't sure how soon he could come by. I called Mark, he's going to come down and visit me in a few days. It's good to be back home."  
  
"I'd imagine so." He looked at Jack and smiled, "I hear you put on quite a show yesterday, son."  
  
He shrugged, "Well ... I couldn't help myself."  
  
"You know that's against the regs?" He asked, but Jack could hear the playful tone in his voice.  
  
"Yes, sir. But, the President is looking to change that."  
  
"Well ... then you should go make use of your vacation and let me do my job."  
  
Jack smiled and saluted, "Sir, yes, sir." He winked, "Have fun, George."  
  
"I could say the same to you, Jack."  
  
Sam gave Hammond one last hug goodbye and she and Jack took off for the surface of the mountain. Once they had gotten outside her hand slid into his and she leaned in closer to him as they walked to their cars. Deciding to meet up for lunch at 1300 they went their separate ways (Jack to his house, Sam to hers, which since it had already been paid off by her father and late mother wasn't sold when she went MIA). Both looking forward to the next week.  
  
XXXX  
  
A/N: Anyway, I still think the last chapter was my fav. Let me know what'cha think about this chapter, anyway.


	9. Chapter Nine

Title: When All Else Fails  
  
Chapter: Nine  
  
Disclaimer: I wish that they belonged to me, but unfortunately ... they don't. It would be nice to make money from this, but unfortunately ... I make no profit, and continue to be 15 and poor.  
  
A/N: This would have come out sooner, but I didn't like the way it was going so I started over. Anyway, I think this version is much better than the other was going to be. Enjoy.  
XXXX  
  
They chose to go to a quaint little café in town, the kind where the only thing on the menu was sandwiches or soup, and of course coffee and various deserts. She had picked it, obviously she had frequently visited the café before she ascended, and was craving some of their chocolate mousse cake. Jack had pointed out that it had been two years since she had been to the place, what if they didn't have the cake anymore?  
  
"They'll have it," she replied with confidence. "It was on their menu over a year before I even left, why would they take it off? Almost every person who ate there got a piece of that cake, it was sinful." She smiled, slipping her hand into his. "We can share a piece."  
  
"What if I want my own?" he asked, a serious look on his face.  
  
She contemplated the question until a grin broke out on his face, upon which she swatted him playfully. "I can never tell with you," she said. "You always put up such a good act."  
  
He shrugged, "It's a gift."  
  
She suddenly stopped walking, he looked at her with a strange expression on his face. She must have caught the question behind the look, "We're here," she explained, motioning at the small café behind her. Adeline's, the sign read.  
  
"Cute little place," he mused as they entered. Scattered around the café were metal tables and chairs and some booths, few of the occupied. Most of the people were sitting with their laptops, a cup of coffee in hand and a piece of cake on the table, almost all of them looked like they were in college. "How did you find it?"  
  
"Cassie told me about it," she said with a shrug, standing in line. "It was a little over three years ago, she and her friends would always come and order coffee, she told me it made her feel older." She smiled, "I really need to call her."  
  
They moved forward in the line and he gave her hand a slight squeeze, "I'm sure she'd love to hear from you. I'll tell you what ... when we get done here you call her, see if she's got class or anything. If she doesn't invite her over, you two can hang out and catch up for a while. Then, when it's about time for Teal'c and Daniel to get off of work we'll have them come over, it'll be a party." He motioned towards the front of the café, where the cakes were held. "We can even bring one of those "sinful mousse cakes" you've been ranting about. Sound good?"  
  
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, "It sounds wonderful, Jack."  
  
"Jack," he said with a sigh. "I like that."  
  
It was her turn to give his hand a squeeze, "Well, you'll be hearing it a lot more often, now. It's just a shame we didn't do this sooner."  
  
"No use dwelling on should've, would've, could've, Sam. We'll never know the differences."  
  
"Wow, that was uncharacteristically insightful of you, Jack. I didn't know that you were so ... deep."  
  
"See," he said with a shrug. "You learn something new everyday. I had no clue just how "deep" I was, either. "Deep" is a good thing, is it not?"  
  
She nodded with a smile, "Yeah, good thing."  
  
"Alright, just making sure."  
  
They got to the point where there was only one person in front of them, at which time they decided to go over the menu. Sam had previously decided that if they had that cake she would get a piece so she was happy to find that they did indeed still carry it. Looking at the menu above the cash register she decided she would get half of a ham sandwich and a cup (which was smaller than a bowl) of minestrone soup ... not to mention the slice of chocolate mousse cake. Jack, however, opted for the full roast beef sandwich. After their orders were placed they were given a number, 45, and told to come back when it was called.  
  
After waiting around seven minutes their number was called out and Jack went to receive their lunches. They ate in relative silence, neither saying much, but then again not much needed to be said. They just sat together, enjoying each others company. Something they wouldn't have been able to do previously, at least not without fearing the repercussions of their actions. Somewhere along the meal Sam had discarded her shoes and rested her feet on one of his thighs. Jack didn't mind, it was ... nice.  
  
By the time she was finished with her sandwich and soup Jack was eyeing the cake with interest. She noticed him do so and pulled it closer to her, taking her fork and getting a bite. She smiled and popped it into her mouth, letting out a sigh of content as she did so. "That," she said when she was done chewing, "Is even better than I remember." She took another forkful, "Want some?"  
  
"Sure," he said with a shrug. She leaned forward in the booth and fed him the cake, accidentally getting some of the icing smeared just above his lip.  
  
"Oops," she giggled. "Sorry."  
  
"No giggling," he scolded as he wiped away the icing.  
  
"Oh no you don't," she said taking another bite of her cake. "That's not going to work anymore. I'll giggle any time I damn well please."  
  
"Alright," he sighed. "If you must. Giggle away."  
  
She smiled and laid her fork down on her plate, "Well ... I'm full. Do you want any of this cake?"  
  
"Not at this moment, no. But, I was planning on getting one for tonight, what d'ya think?"  
  
"It's a plan," she said, sliding out of the booth. "Let's get one then."  
  
Jack followed suit and they walked to the front of the café and bought one of the cakes. They walked back to his truck, got in, and drove back to Jack's place. Once they got the Jack put the cake in the fridge and Sam used his phone to call Cassie at her dorm. Her roommate picked up.  
  
"This is Shonna," the girl said, a little too cheerfully Sam thought.  
  
"Yeah, uh ... hi. I'm looking for Cassie."  
  
"Oh, she's at work right now. Do you want me to leave her a message for you?"  
  
"Sure ... just tell her once she gets home to call Jack O'Neill's home. It's urgent ... family business."  
  
"Do you want me to write all that down? The family part?"  
  
"Yep," Sam said into the receiver. "Please let her know as soon as she gets home."  
  
"Alright ... that'll only be in about an hour. I'll let her know for you, Mrs. O'Neill."  
  
Sam held back her laughter, Mrs. O'Neill. While it was funny, Sam understood the logic behind the girls reasoning. She had called from Jack's home and asked for the call back to come to that same phone, stressing the fact that it was family business. She liked it though, Mrs. O'Neill. It sounded ... right.  
  
"Thank you ... Shonna."  
  
"You're welcome." Sam hung up the phone and walked into the living room, where Jack was.  
  
"Did you talk with Cassie?" He asked, looking up at her.  
  
"No, she wasn't home. I left her a message to call back on your phone, she should be home in about an hour."  
  
He nodded, "Alright. Come sit down with me until then, we'll get you caught up on the news and television shows." He patted the space next to him, motioning her to sit.  
  
She smiled and sat down next to him, snuggling close. He draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close.  
  
"So, what's new with the world?"  
  
He flipped from news channel to news channel. "You know, really nothing that interesting. The Red Sox finally won a world series, but other than that ... it's been a dry two years."  
  
Sam laughed, "Curse of the Bambino's lifted then, huh?"  
  
"I guess so," he shrugged. "But, if you think about it, 1 year out of 86 years isn't that impressive."  
  
She hung her head and laughed, "I'd have to agree with you on that one. What about at the SGC? Anything different?"  
  
"Other then the fact Daniel's started to date the nurses and Siler has now broken every toe on his left foot, and has since begun breaking those on his right ... not much there either."  
  
"Really? Daniel is dating?"  
  
Jack nodded, "Five nurses so far ... gotta say, I thought he would never get out of his "woe is me" dating complex." Shrugging, he added, "It's about time all their gushing got to his head. Too bad a certain doctor isn't here to be number 6 on his list."  
  
"She would've been number 1." Sam sighed, "I could see a change before she died..."  
  
Jack kissed the top of her head, "I know, me too."  
  
The atmosphere in the room changed and silence took over. As they sat and watched the news Jack ran his hands through Sam's hair, causing her to shiver. She looked at him with a smile when he stopped, "Keep going...."  
  
Half an hour later the telephone rang and Sam leaped off of the couch, headed for the phone. But, thinking better of it she motioned for Jack to answer instead of her. "Just ask her to come over," she explained. "So I can surprise her."  
  
He nodded and picked up the phone, "This is O'Neill."  
  
"Jack? Did you call earlier?"  
  
"Yeah ... Daniel and Teal'c are coming by later, I was wondering if you wanted to come too." Then, as an afterthought he added, "I've got cake."  
  
She laughed, "Alright ... if there's cake, what time should I come?"  
  
"Well, the guys don't get off work for a few hours, and I'm off with nothing to do. So, why don't you come over now? If I'm correct I've got a bet to win."  
  
"You're not still holding me to that, are you?" She asked, amusement in her voice.  
  
"Hell yeah I am, come on over."  
  
More laughter, "Ok Jack, I'm on my way right now."  
  
He hung up the phone and smiled, "She's on her way."  
  
"What's up with this "bet" you were talking about?" Sam asked, her arms folded across her chest.  
  
"Well, the last time all four of us got together we played bullshit. I lost ... horribly. I bet her that the next time we played I would win, hands down. She took the bet."  
  
Sam laughed, "Only you, Jack ... only you."  
  
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "But you love me for it," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Right?"  
  
She nodded, her arms coming up and around his neck. "Lord help me, but yeah ... I love you for that and so much more."  
  
"Just making sure," he said, kissing her again.  
  
XXXX  
  
A/N: So ... I saw "Full Circle" last night ... er, this morning. Insomnia just wouldn't leave me be, so I decided to make use of it and at around 2:00 this morning I ventured downstairs to the computer with the internet on it and finally got ballsey enough to download episodes of "SG-1" on my computer. One of the episodes was "Full Circle", I have tried to get "Fallen" as well, but it will not load all the way and as of yet I have only succeeded in watching the first three minutes of the program. I have downloaded "Homecoming", so as soon as I have seen "Fallen" I will watch that. I also have both "New Orders", "Grace", "Urgo", "Window of Opportunity", and both "Heroes". I am continuing to download more ... hopefully I can get "Fallen" completely. Like I said, this was really, really sappy. But, what can I say, I'm a sucker for romance. 


	10. Chapter Ten

When All Else Fails

Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: Have we not gone through this before? The show doesn't belong to me, the characters don't belong to me, but the idea behind the story does belong to me. I'm not making any money by posting this (although, it would be nice if I was ... but it's not about money). That good enough?

A/N: Kazaa has a lot of SG-1 episodes, you've just gotta be patient with it.

XXXX

They were already prepared for her when the doorbell rang. Jack had been watching out the window for her car and when she pulled into the driveway Sam ran off into the kitchen and hid. She could barely contain her joy when she heard Cassie ask Jack why he was off work, wasn't being the general of the SGC practically a twenty-four hour day job? Jack had laughed and told her that yeah, it basically was, but the powers that be had seen fit to give him a few days off, under the circumstances.

"What circumstances?" She asked, worry creeping into her voice. "You're not hurt, are you? Daniel and Teal'c they're ok, right?"

"Calm down," Jack said, "nobody is hurt." He paused for a moment, "However ... there is somebody here that you'd probably like to talk to." Which was her cue, she took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the kitchen, stepping out into the living room.

Cassie stood in the middle of the room, shock apparent on her face. She didn't say anything for the longest time, she didn't speak, she didn't even blink. "I'm waiting to wake up," she finally breathed. "This has to be a dream."

Sam smiled, "You're not dreaming, Cassie. I'm here. I'm trying not to be offended at the moment, because you're avoiding me like I'm the plague."

Cassie shook herself out of her stupor and ran towards Sam, enveloping her in the strongest hug Sam had ever thought possible. Cassie's arms were wrapped so tightly around her that she could barely breath. "Cassie," she managed, "honey, I ... can't breathe ... let go."

She sheepishly obeyed, "Sorry. I just missed you so much, what happened? Why are you back? Did they descend you? What did you do? Why haven't yo-"

"Cassie, honey ... breath." Sam said, leading her over to the couch, and sitting her down on it. "One question at a time, alright?"

She nodded, breathed deeply, and started with her questions again. "When did you get back?"

"Not even two days ago. Of course I had to get tests taken to make sure I was alright, then I was sent home, so was Jack. General Hammond is taking over the base for a few days while he's on downtime. We went out and got something to eat then came here and called for you." She smiled, "Next question?"

"What happened? Did they descend you or something?"

"That," Jack said, stepping closer to the couch, "I can answer." He sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch and began, "Sam doesn't remember anything from when she was ascended, just like Danny boy didn't. You remember awhile back when I told you I was getting to go off world?"

She nodded, "Yeah ... it was like four months ago. Why?"

"Well, that mission didn't exactly turn out how it was supposed to. The people of that particular planet were blackmailed into getting SG-1, along with me, to come that day so we could be ambushed. Teal'c, Daniel, and the others got away safe, but I was taken hostage and ... well tortured by Ba'al ... again. During that time Sam used her powers to essentially save my ass and got descended for it."

"Oh ... have you talked to Jacob yet? Does he know you're home?"

"The Tok'ra have already been contacted," she explained, "but I don't know when I'll get the chance to see him."

"What about Mark? Have you called him yet?"

"I haven't had the chance to yet, but I'm going to tonight."

Cassie looked over at Jack; "Does she know about Pete? Have you told her yet?"

"Now why would I have to ... oh. I forgot she doesn't remember any of it."

"What about Pete?" Sam asked, looking at Jack. "Did something happen to him?"

He shook his head, "Nothing like that. He ah ... he got married."

"Oh," she said, looking down at her hands. "Well, good for him. I'm glad that he was able to get on with his life, he shouldn't have waited around for me to return, and it wasn't likely to happen. And ... even if I did," she looked at Jack, "I wouldn't be coming home to him."

Cassie caught onto the look and meaning of what she said, "Really?" She asked, "You two...?" She glanced between Sam and Jack, "When did this happen ... or my importantly, why wasn't I told?'

Sam smiled at her, "Calm down, Cassandra. Remember ... one question at a time."

"Alright, when did this happen?"

She looked at Jack, "I'm actually not really that sure, to tell you the truth. I remember something about before I ascended, after I was shot. I told him that I loved him. Then, from there on it's a blank, so whatever happened while I was ascended he'll just have to tell me. And, when I came back through the 'gate he was on the other side. He just laid one on me," she blushed. "I wasn't about to object."

A grin spread across Cassie's face, "Well, all that I can say about that is it's about damn time!" She squealed and hugged Sam again, "Oh, you don't even know how happy I am that you're home! We have sooo much to talk about."

Jack sighed to himself, it was going to be a long couple of hours waiting for Daniel and Teal'c.  
XXXX

1843 Zulu

Sam and Cassie were sitting on the back porch talking when the doorbell rang so Jack was the one to answer it. He could have hugged Daniel and Teal'c for arriving, Sam and Cassie were driving him crazy with all of their girl talk. The two men immediately questioned their friend's whereabouts and Jack directed them to the backyard, following them outside after grabbing himself another beer.

They were giggling over something when the three men made it out back; Sam looked up at them with a sparkle in her eyes and jumped out of her seat, running to greet her friends. She nearly jumped on Daniel and almost choked him to death due from squeezing too hard. He didn't seem to mind and hugged her just as tightly, if it wasn't for the seriousness of Daniel's new relationship with one of the SG nurses Jack might have felt a little jealous, and Sam and Daniel had always been as close as brother and sister.

He was surprised, however, when Sam hugged Teal'c with the same force and strength that she had hugged Daniel. The large Jaffa seemed equally as shocked but hugged her back nonetheless, even though he was not the hugging type.

"It is good to have you home again, Colonel Carter." He said when she pulled back.

"Yes it is, Teal'c." She replied with a smile, "Your hair is coming along nicely."

"Indeed," he agreed, "it is."

"Hey, Jack," Cassie called from her seat, "where's this cake I've heard about?"

The older man smiled, "I've taught you well. It's in the fridge if you want some."

Teal'c glanced at Cassie, then at the others on the deck. Cocking his head to one side he turned and walked towards the house, Cassie's eyes widened.

"Oh, no you don't!" She called out, jumping out of her chair and breezing past everyone. "You'll eat the whole thing!" She managed to dunk past Teal'c and make it into the house before he did, locking the door behind her. Peaking out the blinds she smirked evilly, then disappeared into the kitchen. Thinking strategically, Teal'c simply reached above the doorframe for the spare key every member of SG-1 knew he kept hidden, just in case the worse was to happen or he simply left his key inside or at the base. It didn't take him fifteen seconds to open the door and not even ten seconds after that Cassie was squealing that he could only have a little piece, he had to save the rest for everybody else.

The other three just glanced at each other before laughter ensued. Moments later, while they were still laughing, Cassie came out of the kitchen with a smug look on her face, a large piece of cake on the plate in her hands. Teal'c followed, carrying his own plate with a slightly smaller piece, he did not look happy.

"What's the matter, T?" Jack asked, "You let the little one bully you?"

He raised his chin, "Indeed, she is very convincing. However, if no one else wishes to eat cake I have reserved the rest for myself." He glanced over at Cassie, "I have ... dibs."

Sam snorted and began to laugh historically at the serious look on Teal'c face as he said so. The jaffa did not find the matter funny, but ignored her laughter all the same and took a bite of his cake.

Daniel went inside to get himself a piece of the cake while Sam and Jack remained outside with Teal'c and Cassie, since they had already eaten some of it earlier. Getting tired of standing Jack led Sam to one of the patio chairs and sat down, pulling her with him. She laughed as his arm snaked around her waist, preventing her from standing up, and settled onto his lap, kissing him briefly. Cassie watched their performance with a smile and Teal'c held an amused look on his face, though he did not speak of the rule breaking behavior going on before his eyes.

Daniel came back out onto the deck, his own plate with cake on it in his hands, and his eyes fell upon the two sitting together. A smile played on his lips as he walked past them and sat down in a chair next to Cassie, sharing a look with the younger woman.

Jack and Sam looked at each other and Jack rolled his eyes while shaking his head. "He thinks he's the only one allowed to have some fun," he explained glancing at the young archeologist. "He'll get over it."

Cassie laughed and looked at Daniel, "What's this ones name?" She asked, nudging him with her shoulder. "Nurse number 5?"

He blushed and took a bite out of his cake, looking over at Teal'c. "Why doesn't anybody ask Teal'c how Ishta is doing?"

The jaffa's head inclined as he looked at the other three, then back at Daniel. "Ishta is well," he stated.

Daniel huffed and stuffed another piece of cake in his mouth, "We've only been on three dates." He said after he had finished the cake. "What's so wrong with me dating?"

"Nothing," Sam said. "I'm glad that you're dating again ... otherwise you'd be the only single one on the original SG-1. Jack and I have each other, Teal'c has Ishta, and now you have ... what is her name?"

"Her name is Mary." Daniel explained, "And we've only been on three dates, thank you very much. We're only dating ... not in a relationship."

"Talk about testing the water," Jack whispered into Sam's ear. She laughed and swatted him playfully.

"Leave him be, he's younger than we are, let him have his fun." She glanced at Daniel with a smile dancing in her eyes, "I think it's sweet that he's getting so embarrassed."

Daniel glared at her, "Why hasn't anybody questioned Cassie about the huge honking ring on her finger?"

Cassie's mouth dropped open and she sent Daniel the dirtiest look she could manage, Daniel just smirked at her and looked at the other three on the deck. In an instant Sam had managed to break free of Jack's hold and made her way towards Cassie, grabbing her hand for further examination.

"Oh my God," she gushed. "How did I miss a rock this big? Cassandra Marie Fraiser, why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Cassie smiled weakly at her, knowing she was in trouble. "I wanted Dominic to be here when I told you ... it's as much his engagement as it is mine."

"You're only twenty!" She exclaimed, "You're going to get married so soon?"

"We're going to have a long engagement," Cassie explained. "We won't get married until I'm twenty-two, that's about a year and a half away." She smiled at Sam; "It was making me crazy before because I couldn't ask you to be my maid-of-honor. But ... now that you're back I can. So..." she asked, a hopeful expression on her face, "will you?"

Sam pulled her out of her chair and into a hug, "Of course! How could I say no?"

When they broke away Cassie looked at Jack, "I was wondering if you would give me away, Jack. Since I don't actually have a father...."

Jack got out of his seat and made his way over to her, hugging her just as Sam had. "I would be honored to," he said into her hair. He pulled away and stood next to Sam, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

"Now the only thing left to discuss," Cassie said with a smile, "Is when you two are going to get married."

They looked at each other, speechless.

"I ... ah ... think that's a little too...." Jack started.

"What he means," Sam said, "Is that ... ah ... we haven't even had the chance to date yet. We haven't even...."

"It's a little too early to think about marriage," Jack said, looking at Sam. "I'd like to take her on at least one date first." He looked back at Cassie with a smile, "Ask me later."

Sam pulled away from Jack, her mind buzzing, and went to sit back down. He followed her and sat down before she could, pulling her back onto his lap, his arm once again snaking around her waist protectively. "So?" He asked, "When do I get that one date?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed, "As soon as you'd like." 


	11. Chapter Eleven

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Disclaimer: Well ... the show doesn't belong to me, neither do the characters. So ... yeah.**

**XXXX**

Her phone rang early the morning of the third day. Glancing at her clock she was confused to find that it was 0631, who would be calling at such an hour? She answered her phone, confusion notwithstanding. "Carter," she mumbled sleepily, sitting up in her bed, shivering when the cold air met her bare arms.

"Sam," it was General Hammond. "We have received word from the Tok'ra. Your father is currently on his way back to their home world, he will be informed of your return as soon as he arrives."

"Did they tell you when that would be?" She asked, starting to wake.

"Around two days," he replied.

"You couldn't tell me this later today?"

"I could," he said, "but we have also received word from the President." He said nothing more.

"...And?" She inquired, her patience fleeting. "What did he have to say?"

"He has made the proposal to those who know of the Stargate. They are currently voting on the matter."

"Sir," she said with a sigh. "I thank you for calling me and informing me of my fathers whereabouts, as well as what is going on with the regs, but it is really early." She yawned into the receiver, "Could you do me a favor ... call Jack and let him know." A grin spread across her face, he was going to be mad at her if he ever found out about this.

"I was already planning on doing so," Hammond assured her. "Go back to sleep, Sam."

"Yes, sir." She barked sleepily, "Goodbye, sir."

"Sleep well."

She hung up the phone and laid back down, smiling to herself. She figured that her phone would be ringing again at roughly o-seven hundred hours, a very annoyed, and tired, general on the other end.

**XXXX**

Jack laid his phone down with an annoyed sigh, he had been having a really, really good dream before George had to go and call him with such uneventful news. He didn't care if the Presidents appeal had already been made; what he wanted to know was when the answer came back. Glancing at the alarm on the nightstand by his bed his annoyance grew; it was only five till 0700 hours.

What was George thinking? Did he want to torment him? What had he done to piss him off? He finally came to an answer; Hammond was getting him back for all of the years of sarcasm and bad humor that he was made to put up with. Jack sighed, he deserved it.

Picking up his phone he figured that if he had to be awake at such an early hour he sure as hell wasn't going to be awake alone. It felt odd; dialing her phone number after two years of it having been disconnected. His fingers numbly passed over the buttons; it was way too early for him to be awake and on downtime. He was surprised when she answered the phone on the first ring.

"This is Sam," she sounded sleepy, but yet strangely alert for someone who had just been awakened.

"Did I wake you?" He asked, sitting up straight.

"No," she said nonchalantly. "Hammond called me a little while ago, I couldn't get back to sleep. I'm assuming he called you, which is why you're awake, and you decided to call me ... for whatever reasons."

"That's about it ... yeah." He sighed, "So ... you wanna get some breakfast or something?"

He could almost hear her smiling into the phone; "I'd like that, just give me some time to get ready. Do you that little dinner, Jesse's, that's right down the road from my house?"

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

"Their breakfast menu is wonderful, or at least the last time I was there it was. I'll meet you there in say ... an hour?"

"Sounds good, see you then." They said their good-byes and he hung up the phone, sliding off of the bed and slumping into the bathroom sleepily. It was early, almost too early, for this. He set the water on cold, hoping that it would wake him further, and quickly undressed and stepped under the powerful spray. Maybe he had set it a little too cold, as soon as the water hit his skin he yelped and bolted out of the shower, gasping for air. Oh yeah, that was definitely too cold.

Forty-five minutes later he was climbing into his truck, headed for the dinner he was meeting Sam at. Ten minutes after that he pulled into the parking lot of Jesse's Dinner, right next to the car she had rented until she got the time to actually buy her own (since they had gotten rid of old one nearly a year and a half prior). It was a Jeep, a green Wrangler with a tan ragtop, and she was still sitting inside of it, talking on a cell phone. She hadn't noticed him yet.

He turned off the truck, opened the door, stepped outside, shutting the door behind him quietly. He walked around the bed and up to the drivers' side of the Wrangler; she was still talking to whoever was on the other end of her cell phone. She really got her things together quickly, he thought as he tapped on the window. Her head snapped around and she glared at him, then motioned for him to move back so she could step out. He did and she opened the car door, the heel of her shoe clicking against the asphalt.

"Who ya talkin' to?" He asked, starting towards the dinner.

"Cassie," she mouthed, going back to her conversation. "Yes, Cassie, I know. ... No, not yet, he's on his way back to the Tok'ra home world though. ... Yeah, I talked with Mark the other night; he's going to come down here as soon as he gets some vacation time. Um ... probably tonight would be best. I'd really like to meet him...," she looked over at Jack, "of course I'll ask him. ... Alright, Cassie, I gotta go. I'll call you later, alright? ... I love you, too. Bye." She hung up the phone and they stepped inside the dinner. "She wants us to meet with her and Dominic tonight for dinner." She announced, passing by the sign that said 'Please Seat Yourself'.

They slid into a booth, facing each other, and continued with the conversation. "I'd like that," he said, picking up a menu. "What time?"

"She didn't say, you kind of cut the conversation short." She picked up her own menu and glanced over it, "Probably around seven, I'd guess. She said she was in the mood for Japanese, so it'll probably be Motto's."

Jack shook his head, "Burned down last year, there's a new place though. I don't remember what it's called."

"Oh," she frowned. "There's still so much I need to catch up on."

"Well," he replied with a smile, "we've got plenty of time."

She smiled back, rolling her eyes. "Jeez, who knew you were so cheesy?"

"You would have, if you had come to your senses sooner."

Her right eyebrow climbed up her forehead, "Oh ... really? Me come to my senses? Well, you didn't exactly jump out screaming '_Here I am, I love you!_' either, did you?"

He held his hands up in his own defense, "Ah ... but there were plenty of little hints along the way. I couldn't really scream from the rooftops that I was in love with my second in command, now could I?" His own eyebrow raised, "And, maybe you're dating Pete was some sort of hint I never understood, but other than that you completely ignored me in that respect." He shrugged and turned the menu over and began to inspect the back of it.

"Oh ... oh. Wait juts a second, so now it's my fault that I didn't want to loose my job for something I wasn't even sure existed?" She questioned, taking the menu from his hands. "Or it was my fault I didn't want to wait around for forever until you smarted up and finally told me how you felt?" Her tone was annoyed and her glare was hard, but he knew she wasn't as mad as she was appearing to be.

"I never said that," was all that he replied. He took the menu back from her hands, "Let's just agree that it was neither one of our faults, or ... both of our faults." His eyes darted from the menu to her, then back to the menu. "Alright?"

She went back to reading her own menu, "Fine." She glanced over the rim of the menu and met his eyes; he had been watching her. A sly grin spread across his face and she kicked him under the table, though not hard. The grin spread across his face and reached his eyes, which were sparkling with laughter.

"What?" She asked; confused at the fact he was laughing.

"You make it so damn impossible to stay mad at you," he said with a chuckle. "All you've got to do is frown our pout and ... well, it's not fair."

She laughed, her cheeks beginning to flush. A waitress walked up to their table just as she was about to reply to the statement and asked if they wanted any coffee.

"Yeah," Jack said with a nod. The woman, who's nametag read Amber, looked at Sam.

"Please," she said. "Water, too."

Amber nodded and took off for the kitchen. Sam looked back over the menu, trying to decide on what to get. After a few minutes Amber came back with their coffees and her water, then asked if they had decided on what they wanted to eat.

Jack ordered first, "Special Three, with maple syrup and bacon." He handed the menu back to her and looked over at Sam.

"I want the French toast," she said, giving her menu to Amber as well. "Maple syrup."

Amber wrote down their orders and once again took off towards the kitchen.

"So, Dominic ... have you met him yet?"

He nodded, "Once. Almost a year ago ... he's a nice boy. You?"

"A couple of years ago, but she was only fourteen then. I talked to him on the phone once after that, when she was sixteen. That's it, though. I'm looking forward to learning more about him."

He nodded, "I was thinking of using our contacts with the president to get a complete background check on him. You know, what kind of grades he made, did he ever get ISS or OSS, any time spent in jail or juvie."

"Jack," Sam said in a warning tone. "Don't you even think about it, if she thinks that he's good enough than he's good enough. I don't want you trying to scare the poor boy."

"Don't worry," he assured her. "I'll play nice. I promise."

Ten minutes later their breakfast was brought out to the table and they began to eat, Jack filling her in on all of the things that had changed since she left, and what little he knew of her time as an ascended being.

"You mean to tell me I actually went to the cabin?" She asked, taking a bite of her French toast. "Did I like it?"

He nodded, "You said that you should have gone sooner."

"Hmm," she drank the last of her coffee. "Maybe next time we have downtime I'll go with you, for real."

"I'd like that," he said with a cheeky grin. "I'd like that a lot."

"I'm sure you would," she said with a smirk. "God it'll be forever before both of us have downtime in the same week, if it ever happens." She sighed, "We're not going to have much of a life outside of work."

"Well, at least that hasn't changed."

"Oh, you hush." She scolded, a pout appearing on her face.

He groaned, "You're gonna do that all the time now, aren't you?"

"Damn straight," she said with a giggle. "That's what you get for confessing something like that."

He shrugged, "Hey, it's cute. What do I care?"

She pushed her plate away and leaned back in the booth, resting her back against the cushion. "You almost done?" She asked, picking a piece of fuzz off of her blouse.

He nodded, pushing his own plate away then fishing through his pockets for his wallet. After finding it he pulled out his VISA and placed it will the bill, waiting for the waitress to return. Sam went digging through her purse and pulled out a five, lying it on the table. "For the tip," she explained when he looked at her with confusion. "It's the least I can do, since you're paying."

"Oh," he said with a nod. "Alright."

Five minutes later they walked out of the dinner to their cars. She stood with her back resting against the rented Wrangler, him in front of her with his hands resting on her hips. He leaned forward and kissed her deeply, her arms coming around his neck and pulling him closer.

"I'll call you later and tell you what time and where to met Cassie at."

"Why don't you just follow me to my house that way we can go together to eat," he suggested, in between kisses.

"Alright," she agreed. "I'll follow you."

She watched him as he walked around the front of his truck and then climbed inside. She got into the Wrangler, wishing she had taken the top down since it was such a beautiful day and put the key into the ignition. She smiled to herself as she pulled out of the dinners parking lot, it was going to be an interesting day.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Disclaimer: See chapter One...two...three...four...etc.**

**XXXX**

It wasn't until almost noon when Cassie called back with the details of the meeting that would be taking place that night. Their dinner was set for 1900 hours, at a bar and grille called The Chop House, at first Cassie had suggested O'Mally's and she hadn't understood when Sam told her that there was no way that could happen, but she didn't press her on the subject. Cassie also told them to dress nicely; they were going dancing after dinner. Sam left that detail out when she explained to Jack what they were doing, but instead told him to dress nice because it was a special occasion. Jack seemed to buy it, but Sam was completely sure.

Since it wasn't even 1200 when Cassie called they had to decide what they were going to do for the four or so hours they had free before getting ready. Sam suggested taking the Wrangler down to the lake that was about fifteen minutes away from Jack's house, maybe taking a picnic with them. Jack agreed when she informed him that the lake was stocked with bass every two months, or at least it always used to be. They got everything ready and took off from Jack's at 15 after twelve, arriving at the lake at 1230.

There were only four other people there when they arrived. Two of them were fly-fishing on the shore of the lake and the other two was a younger couple, Sam guessed around mid twenties. They weren't that far off from where Sam and Jack laid down their blanket and picnic basket, and Sam clearly noticed the sun catch on a diamond ring that was on the girls left hand. She was jealous; the woman had to be at least ten years her junior at she was already engaged, maybe even married.

It was a beautiful day, 75 degrees at the most, barely any clouds in the sky, and a breeze coming off of the water. They sat down on the blanket that they had brought and looked out over the water, Sam had already started counting. By the time she reached four minutes Jack turned to her suddenly and smiled.

"You ever been fishing?" He asked glancing back at the lake.

She shrugged, "Once or twice with Mark when we were teenagers. Didn't much care for it, I wasn't very good."

"I'll teach you," he offered. "I brought two poles."

"I'd noticed," she mumbled, looking over her shoulder at his large, black truck. "Sure ... why not?"

He grinned and headed off towards the truck while she fished a diet coke out of the small cooler that he had packed. She was surprised that there were actually sodas, she figured he would have only brought beer. "Do you want something to drink?" She called out when she saw him walking back to her.

"Beer," he replied, walking past her and towards the lake, fishing poles in hand.

She sighed, grabbed the beer from the cooler, pulled herself up from the ground and followed him to the shoreline of the man-made lake. When she reached the sand she slid off her shoes and walked barefooted to where he was hooking the lines, "So, where exactly are we going to be sitting?" she asked, pulling off her over shirt and tossing it haphazardly in the sand. "Not on the sand, right?"

"What's wrong with sitting on the sand?" He asked looking over at her, frowning at the tank top.

"Nothing, it was just a question." Noticing his look she questioned him about it, "What's wrong with my shirt?"

"Trust me, there's nothing wrong with it ... which is the problem."

"Ok," she sighed. "I'm going to need a better answer, that's not cuttin' it."

He sighed as well, "You see those two men fly-fishing over there," he pointed vaguely in their direction. "They've got to be at least 50 yards away and I could still see their eyes popping out of their heads," smiling he looked over at her. "Tease."

She swatted him playfully on the arm; "I am not. That didn't happen."

"I swear it," he said holding up his hands, "they had to have gone at least a foot."

Laughing she grabbed one of the poles from his hands, "Alright, now how do I do this?" Gripping the pole tightly she brought it behind her shoulder and then flung it back forward. The line didn't move, but the pole slipped from her hands and flew into the water, thankfully only a few feet out. "Oops?" she said looking over her shoulder at Jack. "Guess that wasn't the right way, huh?"

A chuckle escaped his lips and he smiled at her, shaking his head with laughter. "No ... Sam. That wasn't the right way."

She shrugged and went after the pole, that had already sunk to the bottom of the lake, though since it hadn't gone out that far the bottom was only a foot or so down. Cringing as her feet squished in the clay like substance that the bottom of the lake consisted of she fumbled around in the water until her hands grasped the pole. "Ha," she said in triumph, pulling the pole out of its murky grave, "found you." The reddish clay clung to the pole and she had to wash it off before bringing it back to Jack, who then fixed the string and rebated the hook before handing it back to her with the intention of showing her the proper way to cast the line.

"Alright," he said putting the pole into her hands. "First of all you can't just fling the pole and expect the line to go flying, it'll do that on it's own. You've got to hold it down, so it doesn't go everywhere." He placed her hands on the base of the pole and took her right pointer finger and pressed it down over the line. "That's going to keep the line from going anywhere before you want it to." He stood behind her, his arms around hers and his hands placed on her hands. Bringing the pole back slowly he continued with the instructions, "Now you don't want to rush into anything, you've already seen what happens if you do, so just ease into it. When you've got the pole far enough back bring it over your shoulder again--make sure you've got a good hold on the pole first--and as you do so let go of the line." He mimicked his directions and she let go of the line, the line went flying over the lake and landed only about fifteen feet out, the bright orange bobber showing exactly where it had gone. "You see, that wasn't so hard, right?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, "I guess not. How do you bring it back in?"

"Just turn the handle until it's back and then start again," he explained, demonstrating for her. "If you get a bite you have to go fast and hold on because bass put up one hell of a fight. You want to try it on your own now?"

"Uhh ... maybe you should run though it with me one more time, just in case." She began to reel the line in, having difficulties doing so. Jack placed his hand over hers and showed her how and they continued that way until it had come back. They went through the process all over again, Jack talking her through the motions, and helping her carry them out. When they cast the line it went a little farther, but no more than twenty feet.

"It's a start," Jack told her, picking up his own pole. "Let me know if you need any more help."

"Thanks, but I think I've got it." She brought the pole behind her shoulder, holding onto the line, and then flung it back over, letting the thin piece of string go. Jack watched as the line went further, further, and further still, his mouth dropping.

"How did..." he mumbled as the line went as far as it was going to go and the bobber bobbed up and down in the lake, barely seeable. "You couldn't have..." looking over at her his looked changed from one of amazement to one of suspicion. "You're really sneaky, you know that."

"What?" She asked innocently, "Beginners luck."

His eyes narrowed on her. "Sure," he said incredulously, "luck."

A smile of defeat spread across her face, "Alright, so maybe I left out the fact that dad's a fishing freak and he would drag me and Mark along with him to the lake nearest our house at least once a months and I learned how to fish properly when I was 6 years old. But other than that everything I said was the truth."

"All you said was that you had been with Mark once or twice and you didn't like it much because you were no good."

"Ok," she said with a sigh, looking around guiltily as she chewed on her bottom lip. "That ... that was a lie."

Before she knew it he lunged at her and she was in his arms, so close that he was cutting off her air supply by at least a forth. She laughed and tried to pull back but he ended her attempts with his lips, taking away the rest of her air, though she didn't mind. He stopped suddenly and looked past her, waving slightly. "We've got an audience," he growled in her ear.

She craned her neck around and looked behind her, the two fly-fishers had taken a break from fishing and were watching them attentively. Turning back around a bubble of laughter escaped her lips and she buried her face in his chest to quell the giggles, biting down on her lip in a further attempt to do so. His arms wrapped around her lower back and he laughed with her, though not with as much enthusiasm. When she pulled away her face was red and a few tears had stained her cheeks. "It wasn't that funny you know," Jack said, pulling her with him back to the blanket.

"Oh, yes it was." She told him, "You didn't see the tall one wink and the short one give you thumbs up?"

"Wasn't really paying attention," he said with a shrug. "I was too busy being upset by the invasion of privacy."

"Well, we are in a public place, Jack. Privacy isn't really that much of an option."

"There are only four other people here! That's pretty private if you ask me."

It was her turn to shrug, "We'll eat and then we can go somewhere else or back to your place. Ok?"

He nodded, sitting down on the blanket, pulling her down on his lap. "Sounds good to me," he kissed her briefly and then allowed her to sit down on the blanket next to him. Fumbling through the cooler he pulled out a coke and turned to her, "You want something?"

"Diet," she replied, taking a ham sandwich out of the basket. They talked a little while they ate, what certain members of the SGC had been up to since she had ascended, media scandals she had missed, box office hits that had come and gone, CD's that had gone platinum, mediocre and unimportant things. Every now and then she would catch him glancing over at the fishermen, who had gone off to more important and interesting things, and every now and then she would catch herself watching the young couple, who by that time were just sitting together talking and laughing about things that were probably of no importance, she smiled at the similar actions of the younger couple and her and Jack.

"What'cha thinking 'bout?" He asked, catching her attention.

She glanced back over at him, the smile still playing on her lips. "You see that young couple over there?" She asked, nodding her head in their direction. "I was just thinking about how it took me nearly ten years and nearly dying, ascending, you nearly dying, then me descending, for us to finally be comfortable with being like them."

"Like them in what respect?" he asked, glancing over at the two who had begun to pack their things up.

"Well, in every respect, really. Mostly though that we were able to admit how we felt and act like a couple." She took a sip of her soda, "They've got to be at least ten years younger than I am and they've already figured out what took us a decade to."

"Maybe so," he said with a sigh. "But at least we still did, right?"

"I guess," she replied, glancing down at her watch. "We've only killed two hours, we've got at least two more until-Oh!"

"What?" Jack asked, confused by her sudden outburst.

"I need to find something to wear tonight," she explained. "I don't have anything for an occasion like this, or at least nothing that would still fit. I lost weight while I was ascended, I guess." She smiled, "We could go shopping."

Jack frowned, "Shopping?"

"Yes, shopping. And, while we're out, we'll get something for you, too. Because I'm sure you don't have very many dressy things unless it's a BDU." She stood up from the picnic blanket, grabbing the basket and trash. "Come on, we don't have that much time," she took off for his truck.

"You said we had two hours, at least!" He called after her, picking up the things that she had left.

"I know," she answered. "That's not nearly enough time to find a dress and shoes, not to mention something for you." She put everything in the cab of his truck and walked around to the passenger's side, climbing in.

"Shopping," he grumbled to himself. "Wonderful."

"Did you say something?" She asked, poking her head over the top of the truck.

"No," he lied, folding the blanket and putting it and the cooler in the cab next to where Sam had put the basket. "Where are we going?"

She shrugged, "We'll figure that out when we get into town." With a smile she buckled herself in, "I missed shopping."

"I'm sure you did," he mumbled, starting up the car. "Let's go, then."

It was going to be a long, long two hours.

**XXXX **

**A/N: Alright then, review please! Sorry it took so long to update, it's been a hectic week and all. Anyway...tell me what'cha think. Be it good or bad (though, I prefer the former rather than the latter).**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Disclaimer: See first-last chapters.**

**XXXX**

The first stop they made was at some boutique in town, she searched around for a few minutes and when nothing caught her eye they went onto the next store. She spent ten minutes looking there before they went on to the next. All in all, the first half an hour was uneventful. Jack wasn't exactly hopeful for the next hour and a half; but then again he had never been one for shopping.

"We should probably just go to the mall," Sam suggested as they climbed back into Jack's truck. "Hit the department stores. They're bound to have something." She snapped on her seatbelt, "I should have figured as much from the beginning, shopping never changes."

Jack sighed and began the ten-minute drive to the mall. When they got there Sam maneuvered her way through the large building as if she had never left; her first stop was Sears. "I'm not sure how good they are on men's clothes," she told him, "but they normally have beautiful dresses."

"Why do we have to get dressed up anyway?" He inquired, following her as she walked through the store. "What exactly does Cassie have planned for tonight?"

"This is very important to her, Jack," Sam scolded. "The very least we can do is look nice, this is her fiancé we're meeting up with. With Janet gone we're the closest thing she has to parents." Glancing over at him she smiled weakly, "I've always been really close to Cassie, I don't want to disappoint her."

Her strategic move worked, he bought her excuse. Which, since it was the truth shouldn't have been that hard to believe in the first place ... even if she had left the dancing detail out. "Fine," he mumbled, "I guess I can dress up ... but I'm sure I have something at home."

"Like what?" she asked, looking at him suspiciously. "I've never seen you dress up for anything that wasn't military related."

"Well, it's not like I have to wear a suit or anything, is it?" He asked, throwing an inquisitive look her way. "I don't have to wear a suit ... do I?"

Holding back a giggle she shook her head. "No, Jack," she assured him, "you don't have to wear a suit. Just a pair of nice pants and a nice shirt ... you think you can suffer for a couple hours?"

"Oh, I don't know," he replied with a sigh. "It might be too much."

"Well ... I guess if you've already got something that you could wear there's no use in looking for you something." A slight grin stretched across her face, which should have been a harbinger for things to come, he just didn't connect the dots. "That leaves me with about 90 minutes to find something, which isn't exactly that long. So, we'd better hop to it."

**XXXX**

By an hour later he was bored out of his skull, occasionally she would run off to a dressing room and try something on, but other than that he had to stand around waiting. Thankfully she wasn't the type who carried a purse, otherwise he was sure he'd be holding it. Sighing to himself he glanced around the clothing store he was in, it was the eighth they had gone too so far. A while back, at the fourth shop, she had found something that she had fallen in love with. But, they still had an hour left, she argued, that was plenty of time to do some comparing and contrasting.

The dress that she was currently trying on was red and would probably just fall short of her knees. He wasn't sure, she was still in the dressing room, but after watching her try on twelve or thirteen different dresses at around the same length he was pretty sure that's what it was. The bottom of the dress was wavy and it had a sheer material over it which tented the whole thing black. If you asked him it was just like ever other one she had looked at, but for some reason she had fallen in love with the thing immediately.

Caught in his thoughts he didn't notice when she walked out of the dressing room, she cleared her throat to get his attention and he swung his head in her direction. She was standing in the doorframe of the dressing room, almost awkwardly, tugging at the fabric nervously. Stepping out of the doorframe completely she shrugged her shoulders, "Well ... what do you think?"

"That, like every other dress you've tried on, you look great. I do like the red though, that's different."

"Well," she asked, "do you like this one or the other one better?"

"Well, pink really isn't my color, so I'm gonna go with the red one. Of course, it is up to you. Which do you like better?"

"I think I like this one better," she began to twist, causing the bottom of the dress to sway. "The other one didn't do this," she explained upon receiving a look from Jack. "It's very important."

"I'll bet," he agreed. "So, are we getting this one?"

After thinking a moment longer she nodded, "Yeah ... this is the one. Do you have anything that'll go with the red or the black?"

"Yeah, I have plenty of things that will match the black."

"I'll just go get changed and then all we have left to do is get a pair of shoes, which won't be hard. I'm not as picky with my shoes."

"Thank God," he mumbled to himself.

**XXXX**

Half an hour later they were in his truck on their way back to his house. Sam hadn't been lying when she said she wasn't picky when it came to shoes, she had found the perfect pair at the first store that they went to. After that she managed to get him into a department store so she could get some make-up and hair supplies, then she was done. Thus, they left the mall.

She wasn't as good at hiding things as she thought, he didn't know exactly what Cassie had planned for the evening but he knew it had to be more than just dinner at a nice restaurant with her fiancé. He was determined to figure out exactly what it was before leaving for the actual dinner, but doubted that he would. There wasn't that much time until then and he would be getting ready during most of it.

As soon as they got back to his house she ran off to the bathroom to shower, leaving him by himself to find something suitable to wear. After searching through his closets for at least ten minutes he gave up and decided to wait until she was finished. Nearly half an hour later she emerged from the bathroom, still wearing her jeans and T-shirt.

"All that time and you're still not ready?" he asked from his position on the couch.

"I was taking a shower," she explained. "My dress is still in your truck."

"Well, before you go and get it help me find something to wear."

"What, can you not dress yourself?" she asked with a smile.

"I just didn't want to have to change because what I picked out wasn't good enough," he said with a shrug.

"Sure," she replied incredulously. "Alright then, let's go and have a look."

Five minutes later after searching through his closet she had pulled out two outfits for him to choose from. One was a pair of jeans with a red collared shirt, with a black sweater to go over it. The second matched her outfit in no way, khaki pants with a blue button up shirt. She had mentioned that she liked the blue better but the red would match, but it was ultimately his decision. In the end, he went with the red and black.

At half an hour until 1900 she phoned Cassie to get all the information about where they were going to eat and what time they should be there. Cassie told them to meet her and Dominic at a restaurant called 'The Chop House' for dinner at seven thirty. She also mentioned to Sam that they would be going dancing at a place called Two to Tango. Sam thought the name was a bit odd, but Cassie had explained that she had been before, and it was very classy. All Sam had to do was make sure she didn't mention dancing to either Jack or Dominic.

The left the house at a few minutes past 1900 hours, since neither Sam nor Jack knew where the restaurant was. On their way there Sam kept her eye open for Two to Tango, but it must not have been on the way there.

Sam was confused when she looked at the dashboard clock and it was already 1937, "Jack ... are we late?"

"The clock's a little bit fast," he explained, "you didn't notice?"

"I guess I wasn't paying attention," she replied with a sigh. "How fast is it?"

"Let me do the math...." He said, a smile spreading across his face. "About fifteen minutes."

She relaxed and sat back in her seat, allowing her eyes to drift shut. It wasn't that she was tired, she was just comfortable, and the fact that he had the heat going didn't help much. She stayed that way for the ten or so minutes that it took for them to reach their destination, whereupon she opened her eyes to survey their surroundings. Confusion once again took over.

"...Jack, this isn't Chop House," she stated, as if he had yet to realize it.

"I know," he replied.

Irritation started to take over confusion when he didn't explain further, "Well...?"

"Well, what?" He asked, turning the truck off and opening the drivers' side door. When she didn't mimic his actions he gave her a look, "You gonna stay in here all night?"

She was having a hard time keeping her jaw from hanging open, "I don't understand...." She admitted, an eyebrow slowly climbing up her forehead. "Why aren't we meeting with Cassie?"

"You're not supposed to understand it, Sam. But you are, however, supposed to trust me enough to get out of the truck and follow me inside." He motioned towards a large brick building with no identification markings. "So ... are you gonna stay in here all night with no air and no music or are you going to follow me inside?"

She glared at him incredulously, "What do you have planned Jack O'Neill?"

"Nothing," he assured her. "Just ... come inside. You'll understand, I promise."

Hesitating a moment, she studied his face to gauge his truthfulness. "Alright," she finally gave in, opening the truck door and stepping out onto the concrete. In a second he was at her side, shutting the door for her and then slipping his arm around her waist either protectively or possessively. She contemplated which would be worse, him feeling the need to protect her in general or him feeling the need to inform others she was currently taken ... by him.

It wasn't a long walk to the building, although when she glanced around the parking lot she saw it was packed, and they had obtained nearly the last parking spot. Where were they going that so many people would be attending? What exactly did he have up his sleeve? Did Cassie have something to do with it, or was she still waiting for them at the restaurant?

She hesitated again before allowing him to open the door, wondering what exactly she should expect. There was a long corridor from the entrance of the building that led to a set of gray double doors with no windows. Everything was oddly quiet, the only noise being the click of her heels against the wood floors. He smiled at her before pulling one of the doors open and stepping inside, pulling her with him.

Darkness was all that she could see for the first five seconds, all the lights in the room were turned off. Turning around in her place she tried to figure out where exactly he was standing, but she could make out no outline of him standing close by. "Jack?" She called out into the dark room, "What's going on?"

A light switch clicked and the room was flooded with the florescent glow, she glanced around quickly, a gasp escaping her lips as her eyes fell upon a mass of people scattered around a decorated room. One decoration in particular stood out to her, it was a large banner in the front of the room that, in big, colorful letters, spelled out "WELCOME HOME SAM!".

As soon as the situation registered in her mind a loud, simultaneous, "SURPRISE!" filled her ears. Her hand flew up to her mouth as a bubble of laughter erupted. Glancing around the room her eyes fell upon another's, soft brown and sparkling with laughter and love. Somehow she knew he had one of the biggest parts in the surprise. Next to him an equally soft pair of brown eyes shown with the same laughter, only a completely different type of love. The same part of her mind said that he had planned the brunt of this, no doubt about it. Reminding herself to move she walked over to the two general's, the smile on her face growing with each second.

"You are so sneaky!" she squealed as she hugged her father. "Having Hammond tell me you wouldn't even be told about my return for two days! I can't believe you."

Jacob hugged her back tightly, "I missed you so much, Sammie."

Pulling back enough to look at him she nodded, "I missed you, too. How are things with the Tok'ra?"

"They're good, but, right now we're not going to discuss work. This is a party, for you. Go tell everybody hey first."

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you, dad."

He glanced over at Jack, "He planned most of it, I just did what I was told."

Breaking away from her father she stood in front of Jack, "So the dinner with Cassie...?"

"All part of my plan," he explained. "Cassie's around here somewhere, so is Dominic."

Stepping forward she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her, "Thank you, Jack."

"No problem," he said before kissing her briefly. "Now ... let's go around and see everybody. You don't know how hard it was getting all these people here in less than 24 hours, without you knowing no less!"

Smiling she pulled back out of his arms and allowed him to slip is arm back around her waist. Looking over at him she could feel her smile growing and she kissed him quickly on the cheek, "I love you, Jack."

He squeezed her side in reply, "I love you, too."

Turning back towards the room she noticed Cassie sitting at a table in the corner, a dark haired boy in the chair next to her. At the same table were Daniel, Teal'c, and General Hammond. Nudging Jack she pointed in the direction of the table and his eyes followed, with a nod of confirmation the two walked over to them, Jack's arm still wrapped tightly around her waist.

It was good to be back home.

**XXXX**

**A/N: This chapter turned out totally different that I had expected it would! I'm guessing that fourteen will deal with the party and all that. Anyway, let me know what'cha think about it! I live for reviews.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I know it. The show, the characters, none of it belongs to me.**

**XXXX**

When they made it to the table Hammond and Teal'c had already pulled two chairs up for them. "Hey," Sam greeted with a smile as she allowed Jack to pull one of the chairs out for her. She wasn't sure whether to feel smothered or honored by his new found chivalry.

The others at the table nodded their hello's back to her.

"You all knew about this?" she asked, glaring at each of them, sans Dominic.

Daniel and Cassie both avoided her glare nervously, while Teal'c and Hammond nodded in reply. Sam didn't say anything further on the subject, instead turned to Dominic. "It's nice to meet you again. I'm Sam," she extended her hand for him to shake.

"So," he asked, shaking her hand, and then looking around the room. "Where did you go?"

"I was out of the country for a couple of years. I just got reassigned back to Colorado Springs the other day." As far as she knew Dominic didn't have any clearance to know the truth. Glancing around the room she figured he was one of the only ones, "I'm glad to be back home."

"I'm sure it is," he agreed, looking around the room again. "You know all of these people?"

She nodded, "Most of them are co-workers."

"Wow," he breathed, surprised. "That's a lot of co-workers. Is your boss here, too?"

Jack smiled, "That would be me."

"Oh," he said in realization. "That's right ... Cassie told me about that." he smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

"No need to apologize," Jack said, snaking an arm around Sam's waist and kissing her lightly on the cheek, causing her to color slightly.

"How long have you guys been working on this?" She asked, doing her best to ignore Jack altogether. Not that she minded the attention that he was giving her, but she would rather it be in a little less public place until the change of regulations went through, if it went through. Jack, however, didn't seem to care a bit.

"Since the night you came back," Daniel explained. "We didn't fill Cassie in until this morning, when your dad came through the..." he glanced at Dominic, "...airport."

"Couldn't have a party without dad," Jack elaborated.

"Well, you're just full of surprises, aren't you?" she asked him, leaning into his embrace and allowing him to be possessive for the moment.

He smiled in response and started to search around the room, whereupon Sam began wondering who all he had invited and then started to look around as well. Her eyes scanned the faces in their clustered groups and she smiled and waved at those who noticed her looking, then her eyes fell on two people in particular. Had Jack asked him to come?

She excused herself from the table and from Jack and with one nod of the head explained to him where she was going. His eyes followed her head and he understood immediately, and nodded in his understanding. Smiling faintly she walked away from the table grudgingly, surprised at herself for not wanting to leave him even for a moment or two.

When she reached her destination all her courage suddenly fled and she was left feeling vulnerable and nervous. "Hi," she greeted, enervated.

"Sam," he replied, a small smile appearing on his face. "I'm glad that you asc ... made it back home."

The woman his was with turned around precipitately upon the mention of her name and studied her incredulously. It took all Sam had to keep her jaw from dropping; the fact that the woman was pregnant was extremely conspicuous. "Wow," she blurted out before she could stop herself. Blushing slightly at her abruptness she looked back at him with a smile, "Congratulations?"

He nodded and chuckled slightly at her obvious lack of comfort in the situation, "Thank you, Sam."

"How far along?" she asked the woman, assuming that it was either 6 or 7 months by the size of her stomach.

"Just a couple of weeks into my second trimester," she explained, her accent was very easily recognizable, but what was a New Yorker doing in Colorado Springs? "My name is Kaylin, I assume you are Sam?"

All she could do was nod.

"I've heard a lot about you," Kaylin explained, much to Sam's surprise. "Although Pete says some things are classified and even I don't have clearance."

"Kay is a detective, too." Pete explained, "I told her it was a matter of Air Force security."

"That it is," Sam said.

Pete nodded over to Jack, "I'm happy for you two."

She couldn't have hid the smile even if she had wanted to, "So am I."

"It was a long time coming, huh?" He asked, his voice completely free of any lingering feelings. For that she was extremely happy.

"Yeah, took more than a decade, but we finally came to our senses." She smiled over at Kaylin, "I'm happy for you two, too."

"Thanks," he said.

"Well..." she said, glancing behind her at the table where Jack was laughing with Hammond, Daniel, and Cassie while Teal'c and Dominic sat looking confused. Her smile grew as she turned back around, "I should-"

"Go on," he agreed. "I'll talk with you later."

"Right," she replied before taking off back to her original table and wrapping her arms around Jack's shoulders, leaning in and placing light kisses on his neck. "Hey," she greeted as he tried to turn and look at her. "I wanna dance."

"Dance?" he asked gingerly.

"Dance," she replied, undaunted. "Come on, this is my party, is it not?" Looking around the room she continued, "And it's not like we'd be the only ones."

Which was the truth, there were already five couples on the dance floor. "Alright," he replied with hesitance, "if Cassie goes, too."

"Oh come on!" Cassie exclaimed, "Jack!"

"It's ok, babe." Dominic said, extending his hand to her. "Let's dance."

Sam smiled in triumph, "Yeah," she said to Jack. "Let's dance"

**XXXX**

_Wise men say   
Only fools rush in   
But I can't help  
Falling in love with you_

Sam was surprised how well he danced at first, but then she remembered that at one time he had been married and well, dancing was something required at a wedding. He was a bit tense at first, she assumed it was because it had been quite some time since he had actually danced, but it wasn't long before he relaxed and allowed his hands to hold on to her hips tightly. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed her cheek against his shoulder and they danced slowly in a circle, it was unconventional but the traditional box step didn't allow the same level of closeness.

_Shall I stay   
Would it be a sin   
If I can't help   
Falling in love with you_

Her surprise only grew when he leaned in closer and started singing into her ear very quietly. A shiver passed down her spine and he grinned at her, still singing along with the song.

_Like a river flows   
Surely to the sea   
Darling so it goes   
Some things are meant to be_

As she glanced around the room she scanned the faces in the crowds. Daniel, Teal'c, and Hammond were all three sitting at their table with smug smiles on their faces (Teal'c and Daniel's didn't shock her, the General's was a different story) and as they went in another circle she could swear she saw her father winking at them. Which was very uncharacteristic of him, seeing as he normally wanted to pummel anybody she dated (although he had only done anything on one occasion, when she broke things off with Jonas).

_Take my hand   
Take my whole life too   
For I can't help   
Falling in love with you_

_Jonas_. That name got her thinking. Her eyes darted throughout the room until they fell upon one particularly smiley face, Jonas Quinn. She looked up at Jack with a questioning gaze and he just grinned. He had really pulled out all the stops hadn't he? If this had been a more discrete party (without civilians) would more noticeable aliens be on the guest list? Smiling at the thought of Thor in a suit she leaned against his shoulder again.

_Like a river flows   
Surely to the sea   
Darling so it goes   
Some things are meant to be_

_Take my hand   
Take my whole life too   
I can't help   
Falling in love with you   
I can't help   
Falling in love with you_

The song ended and she pulled away grudgingly, but he kept an arm around her shoulders as they walked off of the dance floor. Since Jonas had been discovered he made his way over to the table that they were sitting at and she broke away from Jack long enough to give him a hug.

"It's been such a long time!" She exclaimed as she gave him a friendly squeeze, "When did you get in?"

"Earlier this morning," he explained. "Dr. Jackson di ... called me last night and explained that you had gotten re-stationed here in Colorado Springs, I came as soon as I heard about the party." The grin on his face got unbelievably wider, "This is my first 'welcome home' party."

Sam smiled and motioned for him to pull a chair up to the table, "Well, I'm glad that you could make it. How are things back home?"

"We're making progress," he said cryptically, glancing at Cassie and Dominic. "I've met you before, haven't I?"

Cassie nodded, "Once, four years ago."

He smiled, "Right, I remember." He looked over at Daniel, "Dr. Jackson, there were some writings that I needed to speak to you about ... if you have the time."

Daniel glanced around the table and upon receiving nods that it was alright to leave shrugged, "Sure. Why not?"

The two walked off, chatting discretely about whatever writings Jonas needed help with and Teal'c and Jack began to chat about how Rya'c was doing.

"Marriage has been well for Rya'c," Teal'c explained.

"Do they plan on having children anytime soon?"

Teal'c inclined his head, "They are both far too young to begin reproducing and it is not a wise time to be doing so, they are both devoted to ... their work."

"Right," he replied. "Makes sense."

"What of you and Colonel Carter?" Teal'c asked with a raise of an eyebrow, "Have you considered marriage and reproduction."

Cassie started choking on the soda she had been sipping, grasping her chest and coughing.

Sam scowled at the young girl and then looked at Teal'c, "I think that's a little far into the future, Murray. We only started dating...."

"Indeed," Teal'c sighed with a nod.

"What about you and Ishta?" Sam asked in retaliation, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.

"We have not yet set a date," Teal'c explained. "We are in no hurry."

"Sure," she said incredulously. Glancing over at Jack she sighed, "I guess we should go say hi to everybody now."

He groaned but stood all the same, "Yeah ... come on then."

**XXXX**

It was well over two hours into the party when somebody very unexpected walked through the door. The room grew deathly silent and Sam nearly gasped. She glanced over at Jack to see if he had anything to do with the visitor's sudden appearance and he just shrugged, surprise showing in his eyes. She looked at Hammond, he shook his head, neither one of them had anything to do with their new guest.

She slowly walked up to the him, thinking over what she would say carefully. After shaking his hand she blurted out, "With all due respect, sir, what are you doing here?"

**XXXX **

**A/N: This one might not be as hard as some of my who is it? ciffhangers have been. I'm guessing most of you will be able to figure out who the mystery guest is. Anywho, let me know who you think it is (although, I didn't do a good job at making it inconspicuous ... I think I'm loosing my touch).  
Sorry the update took forever, it's Christmas break so I've been spending most of my time out with friends and all that fun stuff (i.e. pushing through crowds of people to buy gifts :) )  
Anyway, you know what to do!  
**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Disclaimer: Check chapter one.**

**A/N: See, I was right. A good deal of you did guess who my mystery guest was. Like I said, it wasn't the hardest one I've ever done. But, I stumped some people, so it makes me happy.**

**A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to get this updated. I couldn't do anything until I got the internet on my laptop and well, now I've got the internet on my laptop! **

**XXXX**

_She slowly walked over to him, thinking over what she would say carefully. After shaking his hand she blurted out, "With all due respect, sir, what are you doing here?"_

**XXXX**

He looked at her with slight amusement, slight confusion. "I was invited, Colonel."

"Really?" she asked, looking over at Jack. "I didn't know."

"Well," he said with a smile, "it's my understanding that you knew nothing of this party."

"That is true, sir." she said with a sigh. "It was a surprise. I'm glad that you could make it, though. I'd expect that you're a very busy man."

"Nah," he replied, jokingly. "Not at all, I've got a bunch of people to do my work for me."

Jack grinned, "Great thing being the boss, isn't it sir?"

President Hayes nodded in reply, "Oh, yeah. Which reminds me of the other reason why I am here."

"Other reason, sir?" Sam asked, looking at Jack, who just shrugged.

"Yes, official White House business, you don't mind, do you?"

She shook her head, "Not at all, sir. I'm just glad to have you here."

By then, everyone else in the room had noticed that the President was at _their_ party. About three fourths of them went on with what they had previously been doing, unfazed. These people where the ones who had met the man on more than one occasion, since they were the World's first line of defense from a threat that only they knew of, the President made sure that he knew each of them, although not all of them personally. However, he had made it a point to at least shake each one's hand and thank them for everything they did at the SGC.

The last fourth of the guest sat in their chairs, staring at the man who was the ruler of their country. They made no sounds, except for surprised yelps at first, and then whispers of "that's the president" or "over there, talking to Sam, you see him?". This did not go unnoticed to those who could care less, and they had a little laugh at the civilians expense. If they only knew.

Sam and Jack didn't seem to notice the hush that had fallen over most of the room, they were too busy wondering what business the president of the United States needed to discuss with them at that particular moment. The regulations never once crossed their mind, according to Hammond it would take at least a few days before any news would be heard. They trusted Hammond completely- and they had no reason not to believe him.

One thing that they had noticed, though, was the lack of security with the man. Both had already seen the secret service agent by the door of the room, but he was the only one who was with him. Even at his trips to the SGC he had at least five agents with him. But, then again, a party was hardly dangerous compared to a top secret military facility that could be breached by numerous races of aliens at any moment (even though the iris did provide defense from that).

Hayes pulled a manila folder out of his jacket and handed it to Jack, "I'm sure you will find this very interesting."

Jack took the folder without hesitance, who knew what could be contained in it, and it was fairly heavy. He opened the package and took out the contents, looking over at Sam. "It's a copy of the regs."

She took the large book from his hands and began to flip through it, on the first page there was a post-it, she read it out loud. "Page 247." She looked up at the president who just grinned at her.

"Well? You gonna see what's on page 247 or what?"

She looked over at the person who the comment had come from, "Cassie ... be quiet."

The girl shrugged, she had just wanted to say hi to the president. She had never met him before, but she had heard about him from Jack and Hammond both, and their favorite subject when speaking of the president was how he fired Kinsey.

Sam flipped through the book and landed on page 250, she went back a few pages and gasped quietly at the bold letters that lined the top. "Fraternization Regulations," it read. She looked back at the president, again all he did was grin. She went back and began to read the pages. There was a lot of talk about the inappropriate behaviors that were not allowed and how those officers working together should not be involved, the same old-same old. But, when she flipped to page 248 she saw something that caught her eye.

"Fraternization Regulations for Top Secret Facilities."

She continued to read, in short it said that those officers who worked in a secret facility were now allowed to fraternize. But, if the commander officer of any particular facility saw that a relationship was getting in the way of work then he could go back to the regular regulations, it was his choice.

Jack smiled, "See, this is why I agreed to be General. You can do whatever you want."

The president nodded, "Welcome home, Colonel Carter."

"Thank you Sir, for everything." She was tempted to hug him, but instead opted to shake his hand. "You don't know how much this means to me."

"For everything that you've done for this country this is just small potatoes. You deserve much more."

"There's nothing else I could possibly want," she said, then looked up at Jack, then back to the president. "That you could give me, at least."

He grinned with understanding, "Well... this is a party, is it not?"

"Yes, sir, it is."

"Let's hear some music then," he looked at Jack with a smile, "do you mind if I barrow her for a dance?"

Jack gave him a look of mock incredulousness. "As long as you keep your hands where I can see them, sir."

Hayes chuckled, "I'll do my best, General."

The friendly banter between the two was not uncommon, Hayes had become one of Jack's favorite people when he had fired Kinsey, and since he was the CO of the SGC he often had to call the president over pressing issues. When he had called him to invite him to Sam's party the man hadn't thought twice about it. He had only met Sam once, but he had read her file, he knew how important she was to t he US, hell, to the entire planet.

The two headed off to the dance floor and Jack looked over at Cassie with a grin, "You think you can do an old man a favor and dance with him?"

"I'd he honored," she smiled and they too went to the dance floor. Soon, couples littered the floor, if not to dance than to get close to the president who was still dancing with Sam. When the song ended the one-fourth of the people at the party who had never met him crowded around him to shake his hand. The secret service agent that Sam and Jack had both previously noticed surreptitiously made his way closer to the Commander In Chief.

The party went on for nearly two more hours before people grudgingly began to leave. Thirty minutes after that the only people who remained in the large room were Sam, Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, Hammond, Jonas, Cassie (Dominic had left nearly an hour before, he had to be up early in the morning for work), Major Davis (whom Sam had discovered was at the party about an hour before the president arrived), Walter, a few other SGC personal, including the marines of SG-3, and the president and his secret service agent, who had yet to speak one word.

They were all sitting at the largest table in the room, it held twenty chairs and only a few were empty. The marines were laughing over some mission they had gone on with Doctor Jackson, wherein the natives of the planet insisted they all celebrate their meeting by drinking what they called Delati, but what turned out to be like pure vodka. And Daniel had never been one to hold his liquor. They were at the point where Daniel started speaking in French and undressing himself when a bright light flashed in the room, causing everyone to squint and shield their eyes with their arms.

When the light was gone a small, gray, familiar friend was left standing in the room. Out of the many in the room only two did not have the clearance to know of the Asguard, Cassie and the Agent. Of course, Cassie already knew of the Stargate so seeing the alien did not surprise her. However, the Agent recoiled with a shout of surprise and instantly trained his weapon on Thor. Immediately three voices called out to him.

"Stand down!" Jack ordered.

"Lower your weapon!" Sam yelled, afraid that the man would shoot.

"Larry, put the damn gun away." Hayes said, a bit perturbed with the agent's actions.

The man, Larry, looked at the three with shock. "What?!"

"Ah," Jack said with a smile, "he talks."

"No shit," Larry cursed. "What the hell is that," he motioned towards Thor.

"I am Thor," he replied. "Supreme Commander of the Asguard fleet."

"Good for you," Larry the secret service agent congratulated before looking back at the president. "Sir, what is going on here?"

Haynes sighed, "Larry ... let's go back to the plane. I'll explain everything on the way home."

The man nodded and looked over at Thor once again, truly amazed and confused. "Yes, sir."

The President looked at the rest of the people in the room, "Sorry to cut this short, but I do need to head back to Washington."

"I'll go with you, sir." Davis said, standing up.

"Nah, you stay here. I'll have a plane waiting for you in the morning." He said his goodbyes to those at the table and walked over to Larry, "I'll start from the beginning, Larry...."

When they left the others began to laugh. "Did you see his face?" Cassie asked.

"I think he shit his pants," one of the SG-3 marines said.

Thor blinked, "I am sorry if I caused a disturbance. I had heard of Colonel Carter's return."

"Don't worry about it, Thor." Sam assured him, "You're late for the party."

"Party?"

Jack nodded, "Can you stay long?"

"No," Thor replied, "I only wished to see Colonel Carter and welcome her home. I need to return to my ship as soon as possible."

He nodded, "Of course."

A few minutes later after a short talk Thor beamed himself back up to his ship and the rest of those at the table decided that they should call it a night. After Sam hugged each and every one of them and thanked them for the surprise she and Jack headed out the door, the others not far behind.

"Thank you so much, Jack." she said as they walked to his truck. "I wasn't expecting this at all."

Jack grinned, "I know."

He opened the passagers' side door for her but before she got in she kissed him, very passionately. When they broke apart a few catcalls and yells came from the other end of the parking lot. Sam and Jack looked over to see the marines climbing into Major Vickers black suburban, all grinning and laughing. Sam colored slightly but wasn't fazed and kissed him again, although not as passionately.

"I love you," she said breaking away.

"I love you, too." he replied, kissing her briefly. "Let's get you home."

She nodded and climbed into the truck. He walked around the front and climbed into the drivers side, turned it on, and then took off out of the parking lot. Ten minutes later he pulled up in front of her house, she leaned over and kissed him goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked, opening the door to the truck.

"Of course," he assured her. "We'll go out for lunch."

"Good," she agreed. "1230?"

"0100," he corrected. "I'll see you then."

She kissed him again, "Alright. Goodnight." and with that she stepped out of the truck and walked up her sidewalk, the after digging through her small purse she opened the door and stepped inside, turning back around to watch Jack take off in his truck. She smiled to herself, looking down at the large book that she had in her hands. The regulations had been changed. She could be with Jack and not worry about her job.

Things were finally looking up.

**XXXX**

**A/N: Sorry if the ending of this chapter isn't very good. I'm not sure how long this story is going to go to, so I'm not going to make an estimate because whenever I do that it's totally wrong. Anyway. Let me know what'cha thank. And kudos to those who guessed correctly. I even threw Thor in there for an extra, just to catch people off guard. I wanted at least on surprise in this chapter. **

**So, you know what to do!**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, they're not mine.... Darn it.**

**XXXX**

_A week later:_

Sam rolled out of her bed grudgingly and quickly made her way out of her room and into the bathroom. It was way too early, she hadn't needed to wake up at this hour in years. Of course, before a couple of months she hadn't exactly required sleep, either- so, that might have something to do with it. Nonetheless, she didn't particularly want to be up at 15 minutes til 0600.

But, she could finally go back to work. The downtime that General O'Neill had ordered her to take ended Friday, and it was now Monday morning. Early Monday morning. Of course, he was putting her on light-duty for the first few days- to gauge how the two years she had spent while ascended had effected her. She calculated that by Wednesday or Thursday he would let her get back to work... i.e. going through the Stargate again.

After taking a quick shower and making a pot of coffee she headed out her front door and started on the twenty minute drive required for her to get to the SGC. She managed to pull into the parking lot for the Cheyenne Mountain Complex at half after 0600 and at 0650 she was finally in her office- 10 minutes early.

It didn't take long for her to get back into the swing of things. It had been years since she had spent quality time in her office, but it felt like she had been there working only the day prior. Before she knew it she was back to studying all the things she had been working on before her ascension, seeing what had been discovered in the amount of time she was away.

Not much, it appeared. There had been some advances to the Naquadah generator, but nothing else of any significance. By 0900 she was so engrossed in her missed-work that she didn't even hear the door to her office open. Which, might make sense if it had been a "wooden" door, instead of one that requires a good-bit of electricity to open. The only reason she even knew somebody was in the room was because a pair of hands began to gently massage her shoulders.

Had it been two years prior she might have jumped out of her seat and gotten far away from him, but it wasn't- so she just sat there and enjoyed it. She knew, of course, that it had to be Jack... and since he was wearing her favorite cologne that was confirmed for her. He worked out the sore muscles in her shoulders for a good five minutes before she turned around to greet him.

"Morning," she said with a smile, kissing him briefly on the cheek. "Did you just get here?"

"Nah," he replied, "I've been in a debriefing with SG-5 since 0800... it just ended."

"Oh...." she sat back down and began to study the notes on the generator studies. "Was there something that you wanted, sir?"

He shook his head, although she wasn't looking at him. "No, not really.... I've got a bit of free time and nothing to do, so I thought I'd come by and see how you were doing."

"Everything's great, I can't tell you how much I missed this place."

"Hopefully a lot less than how much you missed me." he said with a smile. She looked up at him, caught the grin and smiled herself.

"Almost." she joked.

"Hey...."

Taking his hand she gave it a light squeeze, "Of course I missed you more, Jack.... I'm just getting back into my work, though. Do you think that we could meet up for lunch at... lets say 1230?"

"I've got a debriefing at 1215." he informed her. "Let's say 1330 just in case."

She nodded, gave him another brief kiss and then turned back to her work. As she did so he left her office and headed for his, having only about half an hour until SG-5 would be leaving for their mission to P2S-424. Until then, he would be busy with the mountain of paperwork in the 'in' stack sitting on his desk.

**XXXX**

"Jack," Daniel called out as he walked up to the table his friend was sitting at. "Sam," he greeted, looking over at her. "Mind if I join you?"

Jack grinned, "As a matter of fact, we do."

Daniel's face held a look of surprise for only a split-second before Sam started to giggle and he realized that it was only a joke. "Ha," he said sarcastically. "Where's Teal'c?"

"Hasn't come in yet," Sam informed him. "Of course, it is possible that he ate earlier."

"Nah," Jack supplied. "I went by his office before my meeting to tell him lunch was at 1330 today...."

As if on cue Teal'c walked through the doors to the commissary, glanced in their direction, and nodded to say that he would be over as soon as he got his lunch.

"Gangs all here," Jack informed Sam and Daniel- as if they hadn't already known.

"Hasn't been like this in awhile," Daniel mused. "It's nice to have a full table again."

A few minutes later, Teal'c joined them at the table, making it truly full. He carried a large tray piled with various kinds of food. Two pieces of lemon pepper chicken (which, made still reminded Sam of the day she had met Dr. McKay), two bowls of mashed potatoes, three dinner rolls, and a piece of chocolate cake that Jack was eyeing hungrily- even though he already had his own piece.

"You think that will be enough food, T?" Jack asked, giving his plate a once-over.

"Indeed," he replied. "It will be sufficient."

Sam surveyed her own plate, she only had one piece of chicken and one bowl of mashed potatoes, no rolls, and blue Jell-o rather than cake. Probably too much for her, but even so Jack would probably eat whatever she didn't. In the end she had a little under half of her chicken left before she started on her Jell-o, and as she had suspected the chicken found it's way onto Jack's plate.

At a few minutes before 1415 she pushed back her chair and stood up, "I"m gonna head back to my office now." After picking up he tray she pushed her chair back under the table, "I'll see you later- Teal'c, Daniel." She looked over at Jack, "Have fun with your paperwork, sir."

Jack grumbled something incoherent as she walked away and he, Teal'c, and Daniel followed Sam's example, throwing the rest of their lunch away... well, the empty plates for Teal'c and Jack, and then heading back to continue what they had been working on prior to lunch.

And then, things took a turn for the worst.

**XXXX**

It was 1444 when the Stargate was activated. Davis' voice called over the intercom and rang throughout the base, "Unauthorized off-world activation! Unauthorized off-world activation! General O'Neill to the control room!"

Sam had been on her way to the control room at that moment, something about Siler needing assistance with a computer malfunction, so she made it down the stairs at the same time the general did. They stood next to each other and waited for Davis to inform them if there was a IDC. He shook his head to the unasked question and Jack ordered the iris shut. He was worried, though. The 'gate had been activated from P9D-785, the planet that SG-3 was to return from the next day.

"What's going on, Walter?" Jack demanded, looking towards the 'gate.

"We're receiving an SOS, sir." Davis informed him, "From Lieutenant Fehr."

"What about Major Sanchez?" he asked.

"I don't know sir, I'm only getting Lieutenant Fehr's code."

"I thought you said there was no IDC?"

"There isn't, sir." Sam informed him, looking at the computer screen herself. "The code is coming through the SOS... it's a radio signal."

"What does it say?" his Morse code was perfectly fine, but when it came to computers he was like a fish out of water.

"Just SOS and his code, sir." Davis replied.

"That's all?"

Sam nodded, "Yes, sir. Most likely in case somebody else is listening in."

"Then if somebody tries to come through with that code...." Jack winced. "How will we know if it's not compromised?"

"That's why he's sending the SOS, sir."

"Right...." he sighed. "P9D-785 is a Jaffa home-world. We're gonna have to send some people after them."

"SG-1 can be ready in ten minutes, sir." Sam informed him, hoping he wouldn't chide her for suggesting such a thing when it was her first day back.

He looked over at her with a look of hesitance. "You have fifteen," he replied. "Go get Danny boy and T ready and out here at 1500 hours."

"Yes, sir." she barked before running off to inform the others.

**XXXX**

Even though they had fifteen minutes to get ready SG-1 was waiting in the embarkation room at five minutes until 1500. By the allowed time SG's 4 and 6 where ready and standing by in the 'gate room as well. Seconds after the last SG team, SG-2, entered the room Davis began dialing 785... and only a few moments later SG-1 was standing in front of the ramp, watching as the MALP went through the event horizon.

Back in the control room, General O'Neill was busy waiting for the feedback from the MALP to come through. When it did the footage showed no immediate threat in the vicinity of the 'gate. He glanced in the direction of SG-1, they were standing in front of the ramp, ready to go. Sam was standing between Daniel and Teal'c and staring straight ahead. With a sigh he leaned over and announced over the intercom, "SG's 1,2,4, and 6- you have a go."

She glanced back at him before walking up the ramp, he gave her a faux smile and she returned it, then turned around and made her way to join the rest of her team. Within seconds a ripple passed through the event horizon and he could no longer see her. He directed his gaze to the computer screen that was still showing feedback from the MALP, it showed that everything was clear. A figure was standing a few yards in front of it, and it didn't take a genius to know it was Teal'c's bulky form.

The man kneeled down in front of the screen, "All is well, O'Neill."

"If everything was alright, Teal'c, you guys wouldn't be there at the moment." Jack replied.

"Indeed," he gave him a half-nod. "I am turning off the M.A.L.P"

"Good luck, Teal'c." Jack said before the computer screen went blank. He sighed once again, wishing he wasn't cut off from what was going on out there- which was the one part he hated about being general. He didn't go on missions, he didn't see that action that he knew they could be getting at any moment. He wanted to be out there with them.

"Do you want me to shut-down the 'gate, sir?" Davis asked, looking up at O'Neill."

"Yeah," he told him. "Turn it off."

Walter nodded and with movement of his hand the 'gate deactivated.

"I'll be in my office," Jack informed him. "Let me know if there's any news."

Walter nodded once more, "Yes, sir."

**XXXX**

The scene on 785 was a mirror image of what the MALP had shown O'Neill... everything was clear. There were no Jaffa for as far as the eye could see. Not that Sam was complaining, she preferred not seeing any angry Jaffa waiting upon arriving on a planet. It was just a bit... odd. If something had gone wrong, causing Fehr to radio in, why weren't they met by any Jaffa?

"This isn't right," Daniel said, voicing her inner thoughts.

"Yeah..." Sam agreed. "I know."

"What do we do?" Major McDowell, the leader of SG-4, inquired.

Sam looked around the clearing, to the east, west, and south there were nothing but woods. But, if they headed north there was a path that could be taken. There were 4 teams and nobody knew where exactly SG-3 was.

"We find somewhere that isn't so... vulnerable and attempt to make contact with SG-3, or at the very least, Lieutenant Fehr." She headed south-east, figuring that the path lead to the Jaffa city. "If we can't make contact then we'll split up and branch off in separate directions."

"Yes, ma'am." McDowell replied.

With a deep breath Sam led them towards the wood, and unknowingly, right for the Jaffa's trap.

**XXXX**

**A/N: Dun, dun, dun. Evil laugh **

**Sorry it took so long for the update!**

**Let me know what'cha think.**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Disclaimer: Nope, the show doesn't belong to me and neither do the main characters. However, Fehr and McDowell, along with others, do.**

**XXXX**

_With a deep breath Sam led them towards the wood, and unknowingly, right for the Jaffa's trap._

**XXXX**

Jack sat down at his desk with a sigh- although he would never admit it he was worried. It had been more than two years since Sam had gone off-world, and although he had no doubt in her ability to lead two years could make one a bit rusty. He didn't know what it was, but ever since they walked through that 'gate a knot had formed in the pit of his stomach, and two hours later it had yet to leave.

But, what could he do about it, really? He was there, in the SGC, and they were thousands and thousands of light-years away; on P9D-785. All he could do was wait and hope that things were going smoothly.

But- Something told him that such wasn't the case.

**XXXX**

Sam looked down at her watch, they had been walking for almost half an hour and had yet to come upon any type of clearing where they could split up easily. Just as she was about to give up the very thing she was waiting for made an appearance. It wasn't that big of a clearing, barely large enough for all four teams to fit with room to spare. But, that wasn't what caught her attention. In fact, the small amount of space went unnoticed to everybody.

There, propped up against a tree, was a very unconscious Major Sanchez. "Well..." Sam announced, "I guess it's safe to say that we now know why he didn't contact us...."

She took a few steps closer to him, then stopped dead in her tracks. Causing those who had been directly behind her to come to a complete half- otherwise they would have come crashing into the CO of the entire search mission. Sam glanced over at Teal'c, hoping that he could sense what she could. Then again, he no longer carried a larvae symbiote, so he probably couldn't.

"What is it, Colonel Carter?" The stoic Jaffa asked her.

"You don't sense that?" she asked, throwing an incredulous look at Major Sanchez. "There's a Goa'uld here."

"Do you believe that it is Major Sanchez?" he asked, giving the still unconscious man his own suspicious look.

"I don't know- but, just in case," she turned around to look at those behind her. "I want you to ready your weapons, but don't move from your spots unless I order you to." Looking over at Teal'c she added, "You're with me."

Teal'c nodded and followed her closer to Sanchez. He no longer could sense the Naquadah that was a tell-tale sign that a Goa'uld (or Tok'ra) was in the direct vicinity, so he was walking blind. But, he was still by far the strongest among the group, so of course Sam had selected him.

As Sam drew closer to the man she was overwhelmed with presence of a Goa'uld. She was assuming that it was Goa'uld, as far as they knew there were no Tok'ra spies on this planet. Then again, the Tok'ra were never fully honest with the Tauri. Nonetheless, she was sure it was a Goa'uld. It didn't take the traces of Naquadah in her blood to tell her that, her intuition was good enough.

When they were less than five feet away Sanchez's head snapped towards them and his eyes blinked open. "Colonel Carter?" he questioned in a thick, raspy voice. "How did–"

Sam threw a look at Teal'c- don't believe him, he's Goa'uld- it said. Teal'c gripped his staff weapon, but didn't raise it. No need in tipping Sanchez off just yet, they could use this to their advantage. Although, both had already considered the possibility of this situation being a set-up.

"A member of your team contacted us, Major." Sam informed him, hoping he would buy into it and think she was oblivious. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been drinking for days straight," he replied with a groan. "None of you would happen to have any extra, extra strength aspirin, would you?"

"We do not," Teal'c informed him.

"Too bad," Sanchez sighed. It took all Sam had not to grimace, he was acting so normal. But, if he was Tok'ra he would have informed them by then. Her initial thoughts had been correct, he was Goa'uld.

"We'll help you up," she offered, glancing over at Teal'c who instantly unterstood. Help him up, and cuff him as you do so.

"Indeed," he agreed.

Sanchez seemed to believe them. "Thanks," he offered each of them a hand and they grabbed hold, pulling him up onto his feet. However, half way up, Sam let go and Teal'c grabbed his other arm, twisting it around his back and snapping the plastic cuffs on hjs wrist.

"What's going on?" The major demanded.

"You are Goa'uld." Teal'c informed him, "You do not fool us."

His eyes flashed, there was no use pretending. "Indeed, I do." he informed them. With a nod of his head Sam and Teal'c, along with the rest of the teams were instantly surrounded by at least a hundred Jaffa. A tall, tanned skin man stepped forward, a gold emblem of a crescent moon melted on his forehead.

"You are surrounded," he told them. As if she didn't already know that.

A sigh escaped her lips and she let go of her 'zat, while Teal'c dropped his staff weapon, and the others did the same with their P-90's. No use in trying to fight them off. It was at least a hundred to 15. 4 to 1 at the least. Those wre not good odds. They had a better chance in being taken to whatever city and hoping Fehr would contact earth again.

Or, at the very least, Jack would get impatient.

**XXXX**

They were herded to some prison in the main Jaffa city of P9D-785. From what she could see, there was a fairly large population of Jaffa there. Although, it was likely that whoever the Goa'uld who had captured them was very small time. Otherwise, they would have known ahead of time what to expect on the planet. It was possible that this was the Goa'uld's only Jaffa home world.

On the way to the prison (she assumed that's where they were being taken) Sam leaned over near Teal'c, "That emblem on the Jaffa's foreheads, do you recognize it?"

"Indeed, I do." he whispered back to her. "It is that of Thoth."

"Thoth?" Sam asked.

"Thoth," he replied. "He had a very small army when I was first-prime of Apophis, I doubt that much has changed since that time."

"Sel tok!" One particularly angry Jaffa yelled at them. Teal'c moved away from Sam and looked straight ahead. She sighed and glanced at Daniel, who was walking in front of Teal'c. From the corner of his eye he saw her looking and rolled his eyes- the Jaffa must have said something nasty. Or at the very least told them to shut up.

She really needed to learn Goa'uld.

**XXXX**

Jack was getting worried. Not that he had any real reason to, the SG teams weren't scheduled to make contact for another three hours, but still- something hadn't been sitting right with him since they left. Deep down he knew something was off kilter. It was just what that was that was a problem for him. Whatever it may be, it couldn't be good. He never got such feelings when something good was happening.

But, he wasn't going to do anything about it. If there was nothing wrong (which was highly likely) then Sam would end up mad at him for babying her on her first mission through the 'gate since she had been back. Which, might have been true. He was worried about how she would do on her first mission since descending. Not because he didn't trust her ability to lead or her judgement and decision making. But, because now he had so much more to loose. No- that was a lie. He still had the same amount to loose, now he just had more memories to make it worse should he loose her.

So, he would wait for three hours until it was they were scheduled to make contact. If he dialed the 'gate up then, it could give them away. He wouldn't put her in any unwarranted danger. He wouldn't put any of them in unwarranted danger. The level of threat was already immensely imminent. And, that was putting it lightly.

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips and he slumped back in his chair. He wanted to dial the 'gate at that very instant, radio SG-1 and the others and demanded to know what was going on. But. He couldn't. For more reasons than the disdain that Sam would feel for him if he did so. So, until those three hours were over he would have to sit at his desk and gingerly wait and watch as the hands on the clock perpetually inched towards 1900 hours.

**XXXX**

All fifteen of them were shoved into a room that Sam guessed was no more than 15 by 15. Not much room to move, but not so little that they were terribly cramped. Nonetheless, it was not comfortable for any of them. The arrogant Jaffa that had instructed her and Teal'c to "Sel tok" said something else to them, although the only one's who responded in anyway were Daniel and Teal'c. Of course, that was because they were the only ones who knew what was being said.

She really, really needed to learn Goa'uld. That would be the first thing she did when she got back to earth. Request a few days downtime for her and Daniel and then spend the whole time learning Goa'uld. For the simple reason that she_ hated_ being out of the loop.

"What did he say?" she asked when he left the room, scowling the entire way.

"Oh, that in a few hours we would all meet our doom." Daniel replied with a sigh.

"That so?" she asked. "Interesting... that is a new one."

"Indeed, Colonel Carter- we have been threatened as such on many occasions." Teal'c informed her.

"I was being sarcastic, Teal'c." she said with a slight grin. Not a full-blown smile, that would just be odd in the situation.

"Spending too much time with Jack," Daniel muttered.

"Colonel Carter," Major Anderson, leader of SG-6, inquired of her. "Lieutenant Fehr is still out there, is he not?"

Sam nodded, "As far as we know he's out there- and alive. But, who knows what has happened since he contacted us at the SGC."

"We're scheduled to contact earth in three hours," Captain Bridges pointed out. "When we don't make contact within half an hour after that time General O'Neill will send in more reinforcements."

That was certainly the truth. Probably even withing five minutes of the time allowed. Knowing him.

"Well," she sighed. "I guess all we have to do until then is wait."

**XXXX**

Lieutenant Fehr watched from the high branches of a tree as SG-1, along with three other SG teams that he couldn't place, were taken away by a group of at least a hundred Jaffa- lead by his old CO, Major Sanchez. Old because it was no longer Major Sanchez who had control of the body that was leading them to their deaths, it was the parasitic snake-like alien that dwelled within. Fehr himself had barely managed to escape from being implanted with a Goa'uld symbiote himself. He thanked God that he managed to escape capture.

He had been in that tree for hours, and had yet to be discovered. The Jaffa (and Sanchez) were not as smart as they were arrogant. He assumed that when he had managed to free himself from the Jaffa that captured SG-3 they assumed him innocuous, he had a bad cut running the length of his left calf and it took all he could to run- if he hadn't torn his shirt and used it as a tourniquet then he would have surely died from blood-loss.

Ten minutes or so after they left he carefully climbed down the tree and limped the stargate. Knowing that it was ludicrous to head that way without a weapon he did his best to stay out of sight. But, no matter what, he had to get to the 'gate. He had to contact earth. SG-1 was in danger.

**XXXX**

**A/N: So how did I do? The action stories (even if it's just a bit) are new to me, so I don't know how good it is. Please let me know what you think, I'd really like to know if it's good or not. The story still has at least four chapters left in it, if not then more. So, it won't be over as soon as John Doe is going to be. Well... let me know.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, you and I both know it. The show and the characters do not belong to me, Thoth, the god, does not belong to me, the Jaffa don't belong to me... Sanchez, Fehr, and the made-up characters on the SG teams captured along with SG-1 are my property, however (the other teams, not SG-1). You cannot have them... so there! **

**A/N: Well, I'm glad you guys didn't think that my action writing totally blows... thanks for that! And, as for a wedding... I'm not sure if there will even be one! At least, not in this story. Who knows though, it all depends on my muse. You can ask her if you want, but she doesn't really talk much...**

**XXXX**

Fehr wasn't sure how long he had been walking, but he hadn't gotten far- that was for sure. The large gash in his lower leg made doing much of anything terribly hard on him, and he couldn't run like he would have liked to. Nope, he had to limp to the 'gate. Which only left him vulnerable to attack from the Jaffa who had put him in his situation in the first place. Thanking God in Heaven that the planet he was on was heavily wooded he slowly wove through the trees, cautiously scanning his surroundings and doing his best to make as little noise as possible. The last thing he needed was to be found by a Jaffa. And it wasn't only his life he was attempting to save. He had to get to the 'gate, and soon. He wasn't sure how much time SG-1 and the other teams with them had left.

Glancing at his wrist-watch, the only valuable thing he had left besides his Kelvar vest and fatigues, he noticed that it was just after 1700 hours. How long had he been on the planet? Three days... more? It was kind of hard to keep track of time when you were running for your life- or in his case, limping. And, what time was SG-1 scheduled to make contact with earth? Was it possible they were already late and therefore the general had sent reinforcements through? God, he wished so, but doubted greatly. It had appeared to him when they came across Sanchez that they had just arrived on the planet, it would be idiotic to be scheduled to contact earth two hours after arriving off-world.

The forest was thinning out, soon he would no longer have the protection and shade the trees provided. With no hat and sunglasses he would be sun-burned, 785's sun was much closer than earth's was, and the days were longer. 32 hour days... 22 hours of sunlight and only 10 hours of darkness. There were at least five more hours of light before the sun would go down. He was still deciding if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

**XXXX**

Sam glanced around the cramped room, along with SG-1 there were three other teams, SG-2, 4, and 6. The past half hour (she was assuming that's how long it had been, the Jaffa had even taken her watch!) had been extremely boring and all together uncomfortable. There was no where to sit so either they were on the ground or still standing. Sam herself had long since sat down, but Teal'c, Major Anderson, Lieutenant Ghram, and Captain Knapp were still standing.

She couldn't help but think that they were at a disadvantage. Along with SG-1, SG-2 was an exploration and contact team, as was SG-4. That didn't depress her as much as the fact that SG-6, the search and rescue team, was currently imprisoned along with her. That didn't leave General O'Neill with much, seeing as the SG-3 marines were the ones they had gone to save in the first place. He could send the SG-5 marines through, as well as SG-8, but what good would a med team do her? None of them were harmed... yet.

"Dr. Jackson," Major Johnson, the leader of SG-4, inquired. "This Goa'uld... Thoth, who exactly is he?"

Sam stifled a groan, but scowled all the same. It wasn't his fault, Major Johnson didn't know how Daniel was, even in these situations. Asking that sort of question was dangerous, Daniel would be keeping them occupied for a long, long while now.

Her scowl only deepened when he seemed to perk a bit at the question, not because he was happy... but because he now had something to get his mind off of being captured. He could run off at the mouth for hours. "Thoth was the Egyptian moon good, who, over time, became the god of wisdom, medicine, astronomy, and many other things. He was depicted in human form with the head of an ibis, wearing a crown consisting of a crescent moon topped by a moon disk."

He would have said more had it not been for Dr. Craig, SG-2's linguist, making an observation. "That must be why the Jaffa had crescent moon's on their forehead's."

"Right," Daniel added, a bit perturbed that he had been interrupted. He got over it quickly and began explaining Thoth once again. "His principal sanctuary was at Khmunu in the Nile delta region. Thoth also served as a clerk who recorded the judgements on the souls of the dead..."

Sam groaned inwardly. This guy's job was to judge people? Her day just got worse.

"...Alternatively, it was Thoth himself who weighed the hearts of the dead against the feather of Truth in the Hall of the Two Truths."

Oh, great. Hearts weighed against a feather, eh? That didn't sound too promising.

"Thank you, Daniel, for that history lesson," she supplied before he could continue further. "But, I believe we should be discussing our escape rather than our captor."

He shrugged, he had just been answering Johnson's question.

**XXXX**

Lieutenant Fehr wasn't doing much better than Sam was. He had just managed to get out of the woods at a few minutes after 1800 hours and as he remembered it was a good half hour walk to the 'gate. And, with a bum leg to go along with the fact he was still hiding out from the Jaffa that time would be at least doubled. It was likely that he wouldn't get to the 'gate until after 1900- maybe even later.

Thankfully he had yet to be noticed. It was touch and go for a few minutes, he had been heard Jaffa coming his way fifteen minutes prior and barely managed to climb up into a tree before they passed. His first assessment of them had been right, they were not as smart as they were arrogant. He thanked God for that, if they had been half as bright as they were sure of themselves he would have been dead long ago.

As he painfully trudged closer to the 'gate he wondered how he would make contact with earth. The Jaffa had taken his GDO, but for some reason had failed to take his radio, which is how he had made contact with the SGC the first time. He hoped that his cryptic message had done enough to where Sanchez code was taken off of the list, because now that he was a Goa'uld it wasn't safe. In the end, his only option would be to send yet another SOS through the 'gate by means of Morse code. Technology was a grand thing.

So, for the time being he limped as surreptitiously as he possibly could towards the 'gate. Hoping that by the time he got through to earth it wouldn't be too late for SG-1.

**XXXX**

It was only 20 after 1800, but Jack was already starting to feel a strange amount of unrest. He couldn't place it, but something was off. He was in the briefing room, standing in front of the window which gave him a clear view of the Stargate, wondering what was causing his uneasiness. Yes, of course he always worried when teams went off-world, but never to such an extent. And, the worry never lasted for more than the first half hour- unless they were late returning or checking in. SG-1 was neither of those, for the time being, at least.

But still, he wasn't going to do anything rash just yet. Give it forty minutes and if they weren't back at exactly 1900 he was sending in the calvary. He'd probably even go through the 'gate himself- his feeling was that strong.

A sigh escaped his lips and he crossed his arms over his chest. Waiting definitely wasn't his strong suit.

**XXXX**

Sam leaned her head against the stone wall and sighed deeply. Daniel had started to prattle on about Thoth again and frankly it was beginning to bug her. They hadn't spent more than five minutes discussing their situation when the same Jaffa who had snapped at her and Teal'c had come barging into the room, scowling at them menacingly. After shouting a few threats in Goa'uld he exited the room again, Daniel translated, and then started up on explaining the many jobs of Thoth in the days of Ancient Egypt. There was one that Sam kept going back to.

Judgement. This guy judged people for a living... granted it was a Egyptian myth but the Goa'uld had taken on the personas of the gods, so her best guess was that Thoth was fond of judgement, as well as his Egyptian origin. One thing that she was stuck on was that he judged 'dead' people. Now that could either be good for her, or really, really bad.

When roughly ten minutes had gone by she spoke up again, cutting Daniel off in the process. "We need to work on a plan of escape." she informed them, standing up.

"Ma'am," Captain Bridges spoke out, "it has to be close to 1900 on earth. When we don't contact the SGC General O'Neill will send in reinforcements after us."

She nodded, "That may be, Captain- but what happens if the reinforcements are captured... or worse, end up in battle? We're stuck here waiting for help that's never going to come. And, if that Jaffa was truthful in his threat then Thoth isn't that far away, and neither is our judgement."

The whole group seemed to shrink back at that thought. Apparently they had been contemplating the same thing she had.

If Thoth got to them before O'Neill and other's from the SGC did they were in trouble.

**XXXX**

Fehr took a second to look at his watch, it was ten minutes until 1900 hours. From memory he guessed that he still had roughly fifteen or twenty minutes left until he reached the 'gate. It was odd, he hadn't come across any Jaffa since he had left the woods, why were they suddenly so scarce? He knew Thoth wasn't a very powerful Goa'uld, but surely he had more Jaffa than what he had seen.

Not that he was complaining or anything. Oh, definitely not. Heck, the less Jaffa he had to deal with the better. He was walking blind, in a matter of speaking. He had no means of defending himself should he cross paths with one. And, dealing with an armed and angry Jaffa was not high on his list of things to do. Getting to the 'gate, however, was number one.

Not much later the Stargate came into view, although it was still a good five minutes away. From where he stood it simply looked like a toy idly hovering over the ground. It was amazing, really- that small speck in the distance would actually connect him back to earth. And, hopefully, bring salvation for SG-1 and the others with them.

**XXXX**

It was two minutes until 1900 and Jack was standing behind Walter, watching as he dialed 785. To hell with regulation, what difference did two minutes make, anyway? Davis' had just finished calling out that Chevron 5 was indeed locked when the 'gate automatically stopped dialing and a gush of blue, shimmering water whooshed forward.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath. This was not good... not good at all. He needed to make contact with 785. Siler closed the iris and waited for an IDC to come through.

"Who is it?" he demanded, not even attempting to hide his anger.

Walter waited, no IDC came through. Just as he was about to inform Jack that it wasn't one of their teams a the radio wave spiked twice, once, and then twice. After that there was a pattern of different's pikes, then the SOS repeated itself.

"Who is it?" he repeated. Like earlier, he was familiar with Morse code, and he was certain that was what was coming through, but when it came to computers he was up a creek and such.

Siler looked back at him, concern dancing in his eyes. Great, that's exactly what he needed to see at the moment- more reasons to be worried. "It's Captain Fehr, sir."

Jack's stomach flipped. If it was Fehr then that meant Sam hadn't found her way to him. If she had, they would be contacting them using her IDC, not his radio. His feelings had been warranted, something had gone wrong. What though?

"Open the iris," he ordered. Siler didn't hesitate and the metal swirled open.

**XXXX**

**A/N: Like I said earlier I am really green when it comes to action stories. Never really wrote one before. So, this is new. I'm glad that you guys liked my last chapter and I hope that this one wasn't a disappointment. Let me know what you think... please.**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Disclaimer: Nope, not mine today either.**

**A/N: Again, thanks for all the kind reviews. I like to hear that my story doesn't suck. :)**

**XXXX**

When Fehr finally came across the DHD it took him everything he had not to collapse on it. Mustering up all the strength he had he dialed home, watched as the blue liquid of the 'gate appeared before him, and prayed to God he was the only one who had noticed it. He had come too damn far to be taken capture by an over-confidant Jaffa. In fact, if one did notice the 'gate start up and came to investigate he was certain he would fight to the death rather than be taken prisoner again. No more of that shit for him, he was tired and pissed off.

But luckily his life was safe for at least one more day. He sent a signal through the Stargate, an SOS really, and waited for a moment. The last thing he needed was to walk through the 'gate only to end up splattered like some bug on a window. He was hoping that they would send some kind of 'all clear' through to him, since radio waves were one of the few things that could travel both ways through a wormhole. Don't ask him how it was possible, he was a military man, he had skipped college all together and went straight into the Marines, all he knew was guns and planes- not to mention explosives. And science definitely hadn't been his strong suit in High School.

To his amazement something _did_come back through the 'gate. Not a signal, though. A voice. A very recognizable voice. Brigadier General Jack O'Neill's deep, smooth voice broke through his radio like the voice of an angel. It was the voice of his own salvation. "Come on through," he said. "The iris is open."

That was all he needed to hear, he limped as fast as he could up the stairs of the Stargate and then forced himself through the event horizon, with the vague understanding that he would be tumbling through the other end, and it would probably hurt. Badly.

Of course the universe wasn't going to baby Fehr because of a couple of rough days. Nah, then it would be kind. And he knew from experience that the universe was pretty much a bitch. He did come tumbling through the other end, but tumbling wasn't exactly a strong enough word. Crashing maybe. Crashing was good. He crashed onto the ramp, rolled down it, and landed in a heap on the cold, concrete floor of the embarkation room. A frustrated, painful moan escaped his lips as he heard something in his left arm snap. That couldn't have been good.

He heard the General order the iris closed, then the metal swoosh, but after that he slipped into blissful oblivion.

**XXXX**

Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter was pissed. Somehow every time they began to go over strategy that same over zealous Jaffa came bounding through the door, a menacing scowl on his face. Each time he barked something particularly filthy at them and snickered to himself, as if he was telling a joke that only he knew the answer to. If you asked her he was over compensating. For what she did not know, nor did she want to.

But when Daniel wanted to lecture the group on the jobs and importance of Thoth in Egyptian mythology, he was always absent. Maybe he knew something the other's didn't. Daniel was not that interesting half the time, for the simple fact that he was basically repeating the same thing, over and over again, except with different names. Now, she assumed that this bulky Jaffa knew all about his master, and therefore didn't need a history lesson on him. Well... Sam didn't know the Goa'ulld and she really didn't want to, either.

He was spitting out something about where Thoth judged the dead, "The Hall of the Two truth's was basica–"

"Daniel," she barked, "please shut up."

He grew silent and she sighed, leaning her head against the wall behind her. Quiet- finally. Now she could focus on the headache pounding away at her temples instead of the reason it was there in the first place. She suddenly understood why Jack never payed attention to Daniel, it was too much effort half the time.

Speaking of Jack, "I wonder what time it is." she mused, looking around the cell. It had to be after 1900 already.

"I am sure that it's past our due time, Colonel," Dr. Craig of SG-2 replied.

"How can you be so sure?" Major Simpson, his CO, questioned.

"Have you not observed a decrease in temperature since our arrival?" He asked, glancing around the cramped room. "The drastic change in the temperature leads me to believe that the sun has either already gone down or is in the process of setting. That would account for the change."

"What are you, the weather man?" Captain Bridges of SG-4 asked. "Who cares anyway? If they were going to be here then they'd be here by now." He snorted, "Face it, we'd better prepare for our judgement."

"Stop it all of you," Sam ordered. "You're acting like children when Dr. Craig was only trying to be helpful. Now, as for you Bridges, I wouldn't give up on General O'Neill just yet, or at the very least Fehr."

"What's he gonna do for us?" somebody asked. "He's one man... against hundreds of Jaffa. Those aren't exactly what I would call betting odds."

"We give up hope and we're as good as dead," Daniel supplied. "Sam and I have been in far worse situations, all she's trying to say is that Jack always pulls through."

Daniel was right, that had been what she was saying. Jack had yet to let her down, they had nothing to worry about.

Right?

**XXXX**

A groan escaped Fehr's lips as he realized that he was no longer unconscious. All he wanted to do was to slip back into that wonderful, dreamless sleep that had consumed him. Deep down he knew that there was no way that was going to happen, but it was nice to hope. His eyes fluttered open to reveal that he was still lying on the 'gate room floor, but now surrounded by doctors and nurses. Above him one very anxious General stood, and when he noticed that Fehr was awake his eyes brightened.

"Fehr... what's going on over there?"

"SG-1," he rasped, surprised by his own voice. "Captured... Sanchez- Goa'uld." He tried to drift back to nothingness, but a strong, but soft hand grasped his chin.

"You can't sleep, Lieutenant." the doctor informed him. "It's highly possible that you have a concussion. If you sleep you could slip into a coma."

"Good," he stated, closing his eyes again.

"Fehr I'm ordering you to stay awake," General O'Neill demanded. "I need to know what happened on that planet."

He swallowed hard, his throat was swollen and his voice came out thick and strained. "They were... captured, sir. All of them. Nothing I could do. Had to get to the 'gate. Had to... Get help."

"Where were they taken, Lieutenant?"

"The city," he licked his dry, cracked lips. "Captured by Jaffa... Sanchez is Goa'uld."

"The other's of your team?"

"Dead," he stated simply. "Sir... permission to go back through the 'gate... help rescue."

"Denied," Jack ordered sternly. "You are in no shape to be on a rescue mission. But I need to know everything you know."

By this time they were in the infirmary and he was being poked and prodded by all kinds of needles. "They were captured, sir. That's all I know. The city... eight clicks northeast of the 'gate... Can't miss it."

General O'Neill nodded, patted him gently on the shoulder, and forced a smile on his face. "You did great, Lieutenant. Thank you."

"Sir... yes, sir." And then despite the good doctors orders he once again fell into that wonderfully blissful oblivion.

**XXXX**

Within minutes he was shouting out orders for SG-5, SG-8, and SG-10 to suit up and be ready at the 'gate as quickly as possible. He, himself was gearing up along with them. No way in hell he wasn't going on this mission. Sam was out there, Danny and Teal'c were, too. Not to mention three of his other teams. Oh yeah, he was most definitely going.

Within minutes he was standing in front of the 'gate, ready to go and impatiently waiting for the other teams to get there. The SG-5 marines where the first to arrived, followed almost immediately by SG-8 and 10. Jack looked behind him at Siler and the man nodded, then began dialing the 'gate.

The 'gate swooshed forward then snapped back into place and the MALP slowly rolled forward until it had gone completely through. O'Neill turned to look behind him once more and after a minute or so Siler nodded.

"SG's 5, 8, 10, and General O'Neill- you have a go."

That was all he needed to hear, he practically broke out in a run up the ramp and then through the shimmering blue liquid.

He was on a mission and he wouldn't stop until his teams were safe.

**XXXX**

She shivered in the darkness, glancing around the room trying to make out the forms of her team-mates. Teal'c was the first person she spotted, his gold emblem shined brightly in the pitch black room, then she noticed a glare off of a pair of glasses. And Daniel was the only one with glasses so it had to be him. Other than that she could see outlines, but none she could place to a specific person. How long had they been there?

The sun had gone down shortly before then and obviously Thoth didn't care whether his prisoner's had lights or not so they were left in the darkness. Thankfully Daniel had gotten the hint about his discussions on Thoth in Egyptian times because he had not spoken of the Goa'uld since Sam had snapped about it. She knew she should but she just couldn't bring herself to feel bad about it. Her headache had gone away for the time being and hopefully it would continue to be that way. If Daniel got that archeology itch again it would no doubt return.

God, she suddenly knew how Jack had felt all those years. Maybe she should have cut him a bit of slack.

"Colonel," somebody's voice broke through the silence. "What happens if General O'Neill and the reinforcements don't make it."

"That's not an option," she whispered harshly. "They'll come... give it time."

If only she could believe that herself.

"Yes ma'am." the voice replied.

How could she let them get captured? She should have known it would be an ambush. He was a Goa'uld, damn it! Why hadn't she been more cautious? More aware of her surroundings? If she had they wouldn't be in this situation.

She leaned heavily against the wall behind her and sighed. Having those kinds of thoughts would do her no good in her situation. She needed to be thinking about possible escapes, she needed to think about how she was going to save her teams, not why they needed saving. To be Colonel Carter, the solider, not Samantha Carter the woman.

She needed a plan.

**XXXX**

It was beginning to get dark when he came out the other end of the 'gate. His gaze instantly turned northeast, where Fehr said the route to the city would be. Sure enough there was a large clearing with a well worn path in that very direction. A thrill of hope coursed through his veins and he shivered in it's intensity. Stepping down the stairs of the Stargate he surveyed the area around him, looking for hostiles. From what he could see everything was clear, but he was still suspicious. He hadn't gotten the whole story from Fehr before he passed out from exhaustion, but he knew from experience how well Jaffa could hide. It was always better to be alert.

Deciding that he didn't have the time to be cautious he turned to the men (and woman) waiting for his go-ahead.

"Alright men," he ordered, "let's move out."

**XXXX**

**A/N: Anyway, I only have this story and John Doe to write for at the moment, and John Doe is practically over, so from now on the chapters should be coming out sooner than normal. I think there's like two or three chapters left, but I know better than to speculate when it comes to the end of a story, my muse doesn't like that. I'm never correct. So... let me know. **


	20. Chapter Twenty

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty**

**Disclaimer: Well- we all know that the show and SG-1 are not my property. But, the small roles that appear every now and then are. Moreover, Lieutenant Matthew Fehr (figured he deserved a first name by now) is my character, and he's basically the only major player in this story who does belong to me.**

**A/N: Ok... so the actual action will come into play during this chapter- so I'm extremely nervous about how it's going to turn out. I hope it isn't a disappointment to anybody. Also, as I mentioned up in my disclaimer Fehr is pretty much a main character now, and I had originally planned on having him lay low for awhile, but now I'm not so sure. Of course he cannot go off-world, but I think that from now on (at least while Jack and SG-1 are off-world) the view from the SGC will come from him. Which, there's not going to be a lot of that anyway... but it's nice to have a character to call your own :)**

**XXXX**

Daniel sat in the quiet dark, glancing around the room. His best estimate was that it was almost 2000 hours now, so Jack had no doubt already sent a rescue team through the 'gate after the missing teams. It was also quite possible that Jack himself had ventured through the Stargate, especially since Sam was among the missing.

Daniel scowled. Speaking of Sam... It seemed to him that the new leader of SG-1 was becoming more and more like her predecessor every day, which wasn't exactly a good thing in and of itself. Before Daniel could prattle on about anything for hours and Sam would have no problem with it, either she was truly interested and listened to what he had to say or she did a hell of a job at pretending to be intrigued. He wasn't stupid of course, he knew that more times than none she had only been acting as if she wanted to know about the cultures they came across, but most of the time she genuinely wanted to know. So why then the fuss here?

Well, they were stranded in a Goa'uld prison- so that could have been part of the reason. Actually, that was probably the one and only reason. Sighing he leaned against the stone wall behind him, a small thud sounding as his head connected to the rock. It was getting darker, and he could barely see anything. Outlined forms were the only thing that he had to assure him he was not alone in the cell, quite the contrary. He was more than alone- and considering the cramped space they were in he was starting to wish that wasn't the case.

And, then he could talk about Thoth without getting fussed at for it... of course he would be talking to himself, but who needed to focus on semantics, really? He certainly didn't. He was in prison, none of that mattered.

Truth was, he had only been talking of the Egyptian god to get his mind off of the Goa'uld who had personified him. In Egyptian times Thoth had judged the dead, weighing their hearts against an ordinary feather, which was a no-win situation. Daniel could tell that he wasn't the only one wondering whether this Goa'uld had taken on all the roles of the ancient god. And he couldn't but wondering... alive or dead- would they be judged?

**XXXX**

O'Neill trudged up a particularly steep hill, brooding over how vulnerable the incline was making him and his team. Walking at such a rate blinded them to whatever lay behind the hill, they were susceptible to an attack of any kind. Which was why he and Colonel Jennings (SG-5's CO) were a good distance ahead of the others. If there was going to be any hostiles to greet them the others would have plenty of time to be forewarned.

Not much had been said since they had come through the 'gate. Not much needed saying. Everybody among the group understood that this mission was of the up-most importance and speaking would only distract them from what needed to be done. Distractions were never good when on an alien planet, least of all one with over-zealous Jaffa. Which, from experience Jack knew that basically all Jaffa were egotistical, just like the Goa'uld.

From what he could tell they had only traveled a click so for, maybe a bit more than so. It was hard to tell since they had been going uphill for more than fifteen minutes. Glancing behind him to check on the rest of his team he pushed himself further, knowing that it wasn't doing his knee any good to strain like he was. But, at the same time, he wasn't doing his captured teams any good by worrying about himself. So, he quit- worrying, that was.

The sun had just gone down and dusk had passed, it was pitch black, which added to the chance of an attack greatly. Though as far as he could tell they had yet to be discovered. For some reason unknown to him there were no Jaffa out. Something important must have been going on- not that he cared. Whatever it was, if it kept the Jaffa away it was fine by him. Unless, of course, it had something to do with Sam, SG-1, and the other teams with them. Which was something he doubted highly. It was way too soon for anything like that. Jack winced at the thought.

When they came to the top of the hill he noticed ruins in the distance, and immediately thought of Daniel. If the circumstances of SG-1's mission to P9D-785 had been different Daniel would probably have been engrossed in those ruins at the very moment. He smiled faintly thinking of it.

As he was thinking about Daniel studying whatever the ruins had to say movement caught his attention- there was something off to his left. Immediately he was facing that very direction, his

90 aimed and ready. Colonel Jennings noticed the sudden movement from his CO and he too raised his weapon, on high alert.

It wasn't an ambush- at least not on their part. Four Jaffa were weaving through the trees, presumably hunting. From what he could tell they had yet to notice them in the darkness. A smirk passed over his lips for a fleeting second before he replaced it with a straight face, signaling to those closest to him. They weren't far off, in fact it was quiet the opposite, it would be no problem to take them out without an ensuing battle. Within seconds SG-5 had made their way to Jennings and Jack, and the general quickly explained their situation with a simple gesture of the hand. The Marines nodded, ever ready for a battle, and along with their CO and his CO they inched closer to the tree-line, hiding behind several large rocks that littered the ground.

It wasn't very long before all four Jaffa were in clear-range and they were done before they knew what hit them. The Tau'ri laid low until Jack was confident they were alone again and then the Marines went to retrieve any weapons the Jaffa had with them.

Jack wasn't an idiot, he knew that they would meet up with situations a bit more on the dangerous side on their journey to the city, that had just been a chance occurrence. Luck, maybe... if he had believed in that sort of thing. Making sure to be extra cautious they once again started towards the city, with any luck they would be there within three hours.

**XXXX**

Lieutenant Fehr felt horrible, to put things lightly. When he woke he didn't even have the strength to open his eyes- at first. Once he realized where he was and why he was there things were different. The first thing that occurred to him when he finally did open his eyes was the level of brightness in the room. Once he got over the blinding light he attempted to sit up in the infirmary bed he was in, and although he had to fight off nausea from the sudden movement he had no problem staying that way.

A faint beeping from his right caught his attention, so he was on machines. Most likely from dehydration, he assumed- he hadn't had anything to drink since the beginning of his first day on 785 and he had been on the planet for more than three.

That was the least of his worries though. He wasn't concerned with himself at that point in time, he wanted to know what was going on off-world. Had they left already to rescue SG-1? Had any contact been made since then? Hell, for all he knew he had been out for a week or longer and they were already home safe.

A nurse entered the room and looked over at him with a smile, "Oh... you're up."

He nodded, "Is General O'Neill on base?"

She shook her head, "No, he left through the Stargate over an hour ago. You haven't been asleep for long, you should probably get some more rest. Lord knows you need it."

"I'm fine," he told her, shaking his head. "Do you know if there's been any word from them since he left?"

"Not that I've heard," she told him. "Lay back down, get some sleep... by the time you wake up there might be some news."

Matthew Fehr was never one to listen to doctors, or nurses- but he had to admit he was exhausted. More so than he had originally thought. Maybe just a few hours...

And, just as he had before, he laid back and let blissful, drug-educed oblivion swallow him whole.

**XXXX**

The sound of heavy, Jaffa footfall stirred Sam from the light sleep she had been managing for the lighter part of ten minutes. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and she glanced around the room worriedly- but from what she counted everybody was still there. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, though premature. As soon as it filled the air the doors to the prison opened and the same Jaffa came striding through. A light came on.

Ah, and let there be light.

With a sickening grin the Jaffa hoovered in front of the cell door, his eyes darting from person to person. Not a word came from his mouth.

"Something we can do for you?" Sam spat bitterly, she was way too irritated to deal with Jaffa antics.

He looked at her with a scowl, "Thoth has arrived... Prepare for your judgement."

Sam glanced over at Daniel who's eyes held that which she had been thinking. Jack better get there... and soon.

**XXXX**

They had come across a few other hunting parties on their journey to the city. The groups never consisted of over five Jaffa and were always taken out before they knew the Tau'ri were there. Jack was surprised by their accuracy, and the lack of resistence, and knew better to believe it was luck. Something was going on, something big enough to require nearly all of the Goa'uld's Jaffa. Jack didn't like to entertain the idea but it was quite possible that even had something to do with his captured men and women.

The worst thing about the situation was that he had no idea which building was the prison. When they came across the city it was cluttered with small huts that he assumed the houses of the poor and medium sized homes, as well as large ones. There was one large building in the middle of the city, with two smaller ones beside it. Any of them could be where Sam was being held.

It was dark, which was their best advantage, and with their training they could easily move throughout the city without being detected. Figuring their best bet was to split up, he divided them into three groups; himself with SG-5 as Rescue 1, SG-8 as Rescue 2, and SG-10 as Rescue 3. Rescue One was to investigate the largest building and the other two would take the smaller ones.

He glanced at his watch with a sigh, "Report back to me at 2345." It was almost 2330 at the moment and it wouldn't take long to check out the buildings. "If you find them before then radio in."

Yeah, as if they needed to actually be told to do so.

"Ok," he whispered in the darkness. "Let's split up."

They moved in the darkness, eyes open and guns ready. If the Jaffa were going to throw anything their way then they would be prepared.

He wouldn't return home without his missing teams.

None of them would.

**XXXX**

**A/N: Ok, so maybe the action in this story is to a bare minimum. I guess I'm going a bit slower than I had imagined I would. The next chapter most definitely will, however. So, I think there's two or three left- but who knows, maybe more. Like I said, they're gonna probably be coming at this rate from now on so It'll be done soon. Let me know what you think :)**


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty One**

**Disclaimer: Nope, the show still doesn't belong to me. However, the members of the SG teams that are not SG-1 are figments of my imagination, as is Lieutenant Fehr, who will once again make a short appearance.**

**A/N: Yeah, Thoth does sound nasty, doesn't he? But, that's why I chose him in the first place, because of who he was in Egyptian times. Anybody who judges people (be they dead or alive) has to be either really mean, or just plain high and mighty. So... I'm gonna establish that my Thoth is a combination of both. **

**Hopefully the action will start in this chapter.**

_**Warning: Minor character death to follow.**_

**XXXX**

As far as she, and all the others with her, could tell it had only been a little over half an hour since the large, menacing Jaffa had informed them of their impending judgement and obvious fate when what appeared to be a knocking noise came from behind the wall which consisted of a small, bared window at it's very top. Sam's heart fluttered with hope for a moment before she became suspicious of the noise- who knew what could have caused it. She could be setting herself up for disappointment by thinking that Jack could have found them, so she immediately told herself it could easily be an animal of sorts. Nonetheless, the clattering sound had caught Teal'c and Daniel's attention, as well, because both of them made their way to where she was sitting, right under the small window.

"What was that?" Daniel asked. Like she knew.

Her reply was a simple shrug as she pulled herself to her feet. "The window's too far up for any of us to be able to see out of it..."

Like they didn't already notice _that_.

"Perhaps I could be of assistance," Teal'c suggested.

"What, like put me on your shoulders? What if Scowl comes back?" Scowl being what she had nicknamed the first-prime of Thoth, they had yet to catch his name.

"There's enough of us to block his vision for at least a second or two... enough time for you to get down," Captain Bridges, 2IC of SG-4, supplied.

Sam glanced around the room with a sigh, just as the knocking noise broke through the air. If they didn't do something about it soon somebody else was going to notice the noise. "Alright, just... crowd around Teal'c."

The order was clear and all the airmen did as they were told, standing shoulder to shoulder around Teal'c, blocking the view of whoever could come through the door. Sam opted not to get onto his shoulders, but instead to have him get on his hands and knees so she could stand on his back. That would provide her with enough height to see through the bars of the window and figure out what was causing such noises on the other side of the prison.

She couldn't see much, it was dark enough to make even seeing the bars nearly impossible, but as she peered out into the night movement caught her eye. Too big to be an animal, not big enough to be a Jaffa, and from what she could tell clutching on a automatic weapon. "Who's out there?" She called out as quietly, but demanding nonetheless, as she could.

Whatever had been moving stopped suddenly and turned, "Colonel Carter?"

The lump in her throat went back down, "Yes- who is out there?"

"SG-10, ma'am," the voice replied. "We've come to rescue you."

"Well, you'd better do it quick," she ordered. "Thoth is on the planet."

"Ma'am?" the voice questioned.

"He's a Goa'uld, airman. Is General O'Neill with you?"

"He's with SG-5, Colonel." he informed her. "Searching for you."

"Well–" she couldn't say anymore because Captain Bridges signaled that the door was beginning to open. As quickly as she could she climbed down from Teal'c's back and he got up from the floor, then the wall of airmen spread across the room. When Scowl made his way to the cell door they were all where they should have been, and he knew nothing different.

**XXXX**

Lieutenant Matthew Eugene Fehr was snapped out of oblivion by the ringing of a telephone. Nothing too important, not like an unauthorized off-world activation, or intruder alarms, but nonetheless it brought him out of his peaceful, dreamless sleep. A curtain was drawn around his bed and he momentarily cursed whoever had done so, leaning forward and pulling it open.

Doctor Brightman was speaking in a hushed voice to whomever had phoned, and had yet to notice his consciousness. As she talked he slid out of bed, being careful not to make noise or call attention to himself. When he had both feet planted firmly on the floor she hung the phone up and turned around, catching him in the act of sneaking out. He cursed under his breath and waited for her berating.

"Lieutenant Fehr," she scolded, "you should be sleeping."

"Well... this is the third time I have woken up, so it's obvious that's not going to happen." he shrugged, still standing. "I want to do something... to help."

"There's nothing that you could do at the moment that would help SG-1," the doctor informed him "Now, if you want to help_ yourself _then I suggest you get back into that bed and go back to sleep. The more you sleep, the sooner you get out of the infirmary."

He scowled, knowing full well that she was right, and sat back on the bed. "What time is it?"

"Just after 2330, they've been gone for nearly four hours." she grabbed a clipboard from her side and checked something off.

"No contact since then?" he questioned, anxious to know what was happening.

"None, Lieutenant. And, I don't expect for there to be any until they've found the captured teams... and are home. Do you think General O'Neill would take the time to make a call back to Earth to let them know they'd turned up empty?"

Another scowl, yet again she was correct. "No, ma'am."

"That's what I thought. Now... get some rest before I have to make you."

That smartened him up quick. The last thing he wanted was _another_ shot.

A sigh escaped his lips as he laid back in the bed, "Yes, ma'am."

Within minutes he was once again slipping into oblivion- though this time, it was anything but blissful.

**XXXX**

"General O'Neill," his radio crackled. He looked at his watch, it was only 2338. "This is SG-10... we've found them."

That was all he needed to hear, SG-10 had gone to the right of his direction, and he immediately turned that way. "We're on our way."

"You'd better hurry, I think something's happening."

"Copy that," he replied. "O'Neill, out."

Signaling to SG-5 they headed to their right as quickly as they could.

Hope was temporary, he knew better than to assume that now that they had been found things would run smoothly. He didn't know anything about their captures, but if they were Goa'uld then he didn't need to know anything else. They had to get to their captured teams, and fast.

**XXXX**

Scowl walked into the room, proving once again why he had been nicknamed as such. Something was different this time, however. Somebody was with him. Somebody who's eyes flashed as soon as he stood before the bars of their cell.

Thoth.

Almost snickering, the Goa'uld's eyes darted around the cell. "Tau'ri warriors," he all but laughed, "you are weaker than I had imagined."

Sam bit back a comment, the last thing she wanted to do was piss this one off. Scowl, sure, he couldn't do anything without his masters approval. But, the actual master... well, only Jack was _that _confident.

Thoth's eyes once again scanned the room, as if he was sizing up its inhabitants. When his beady green eyes fell upon Dr. Craig he smirked, pointed him out, and turned to his first prime. "That one," he growled.

Scowl opened the door and entered the room. The others around her turned to her for confirmation, but she shook her head. They wouldn't be attacking him, there were other Jaffa with Thoth, and they had staff weapons. She did, however, step forward as the large first-prime grabbed a hold of the Doctor- the smallest in the room. "No," she demanded, "take me instead."

She'd be damned if she let somebody be tortured on her watch.

Thoth grinned, "You will have your time."

_Shit_. "He doesn't know anything."

"I will be the judge of that."

_Fuck._ The last thing she wanted to hear coming out of his mouth was anything involving judgement. "I know the most."

"I will also be the judge of that," he looked at Scowl, who still had Craig in his clutch. "Take him away, Ri'dek."

Ah, so Scowl had a real name. Ri'dek drug Craig out of the room and pushed him out the door, Thoth and his Jaffa fan club followed. Sam looked around the room, her stomach rising in her throat. This was not good, not at all.

**XXXX**

Thoth and his band of merry men were gone for all of ten minutes before they came stampeding into the room once more, and Sam's stomach jumped into her throat again.

Dr. Craig wasn't with them.

Ri'deck once again opened the cell door and barged inside, with his trademark scowl present. He glanced back at his master, as if asking a question. A sick grin appeared on Thoth's face and his beady eyes darted around the room, landing on Daniel.

"Him," he said cryptically. Before Ri'dek could get to the archeologist, however, Sam stepped out in front of him protectively.

"No," she all but growled. "If you're going to take anybody it's going to be me."

Ri'dek scowled and began to push her aside, but Thoth called out to her first.

"Why are you so anxious to be judged?" he questioned, an amused smile appearing on his face.

"I'm not," she replied. "But if it's going to be anybody, it should be me. I'm their leader."

"You are a female," he stated.

"Really?" she barked. "I hadn't noticed."

Thoth chuckled, "Lively. I enjoy that in women." He turned to Ri'dek, "Do as she wishes."

Instantly she was forced into his strong hold and being dragged out of the room. Glancing behind her as she went her eyes found Daniel's and she nodded. _Don't worry about me,_ they said...

_Get out._

**XXXX**

"Were is Craig?" she questioned as Ri'dek proceeded in chaining her against a wall.

"Craig?" Thoth questioned. "He is not here."

"Yeah, I knew that," she spat out. "What happened to him?"

"He would not revel what I wanted to know." Thoth stated, nonchalant.

"He didn't know anything important," she growled.

"Unfortunate for him." He grabbed a

90 from the table beside him. "Interesting choice of weaponry... So flawed, yet so dangerous. Painful."

Sam didn't have anything smart to say, so she stayed quiet. Again, the only person with enough gall to mouth off in such a situation would be Jack, and thankfully he wasn't in her position at the moment.

"One shot alone is powerful enough to kill..." Thoth continued, studying the gun. "Or, discrete enough to only wound- with much distress from the wounded. Causes blood to flow freely, bones to shatter, muscles to tear. Even stop a beating heart. So many options..."

Biting down on her lip her eyes shifted, looking around the room. There were two doors, one that she had come in at and one to her right. Not that such would do her much good, as she was chained around both ankles and wrists. Oh yeah, she wasn't going anywhere. But, it was just her and Thoth. If somebody were to come and attempt to rescue her...

"Where is Doctor Craig?" she asked once more, hoping for a straight answer.

"He is no more," Thoth said with a sigh. "His judgement is complete."

"You bastard," she sneered, tugging at her chains. "Why?"

"He was found unworthy," he set down the gun and turned to her. "You can only pray that you are not."

Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter felt a stab of pain in her chest. Craig was dead, and it was all her fault. She had let him die on her watch. If they had taken Daniel, who knows what Thoth would have done to him. Or any other member of those teams she was leading. With a set scowl she stood back against the wall and waited for whatever Thoth was going to throw at her.

Jack had better hurry. She didn't have much time.

None of them did.

**XXXX**

**A/N: Yeah, I know that I said action again. But, well... it's taking time! Anyway, sorry it took longer than I expected for this chapter to get done. I took Thursday off, just because I had been writing all week. Then Friday I was skiing and Saturday I wrote the first half, then went to a basketball game and then a friends house. It is currently 1 am on Sunday morning and I am updating this just for you guys! I hope that you like it. More to come soon.**


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty Two**

**Disclaimer: Nope... I ordered them last week, but they haven't come in the mail yet. Maybe by my next update.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the kind reviews. I'm glad to hear that my story really_ does _have action in it!**

**Oh, and this explosive thing I'm talking about down here, it was used in "Beast of Burden" but they never said what it was called... So, I'm not creative enough to pick out some brilliant name for it, so I'll skip around a name and just explain what it does.**

**XXXX**

If he had been keeping track of the amount of time that had past since she had been dragged away in his place, he would have known that not even five minutes had passed since a familiar knocking came from the back wall of the cell. But, of course, he had been too busy worrying about her to pay any mind to the time, so he didn't. He did, however, have all the men crowd around Teal'c as they had done before, then as she had done stood on his back and peered through the bars.

"Carter?" a clearly recognizable voice whispered.

"No," he replied, "she's been taken by Thoth."

"Thoth?" he hissed.

"The Goa'uld, sir," a voice on the outside answered for him.

"Well, why the hell did he take her?" he demanded. Like any of his team _knew_.

"To save me," Daniel told him, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Somebody has to get to her quick."

There was a heavy sigh from the other side of the wall. "What's your position in there?"

"We're all packed into a small cell, at the moment there aren't any Jaffa in the room- but I doubt that will last long. Why?" he questioned, "What can you do from out there?"

"Not much with you all cramped into a small room," he grumbled with slight annoyance. For a moment all that could be heard from the other side of the wall were whispers, and then Jack addressed the prisoners once more. "We think we have a plan..."

"You _think_?" Daniel questioned.

"Right," Jack didn't seem at all phased by the uncertain tone in his friends voice. "We're going to send over some explosives an–"

"Wait," he interjected in shock, "you're going to send over _what_?"

"Not dynamite or C-4, Danny- just something to blow the lock off of the door. You remember when we were stuck on that planet with your buddy Chaka?" the tone in his voice was anything but amuzed. Jack had _despised_ that mission.

"Yeah..."

"The stuff we used to get out of _those_ cells, doesn't even make much of a sound. It's just a clay bomb."

Daniel remembered the device. "So... what happens after we blow the lock?"

"_We_ blow the wall," Jack explained. "Then you guys high tail it out of here and head for the 'gate, while me and some of my men go find Colonel Carter... is she the only one missing?"

"No, Thoth took Dr. Craig, too- we're not hopeful about what happened to him, though."

"No matter, we've still got to find out what happened to him," no man get's left behind, and all that. "You ready for the explosives?"

"Yeah... just- be careful, ok?"

Jack snorted, as if he hadn't already known _that_.

**XXXX**

"What is your purpose here?" Thoth questioned, studying the P90 in his hands with careful appreciation, quite unnervingly so.

"To save the men you captured," she spat out at him bitterly.

Thoth looked up at her, having expected such an answer. "And," he mused, "their purpose here?"

"No purpose," she confessed. "We're explores- we didn't know that this planet was occupied by the Goa'uld."

"Yes," Thoth sighed, "well... it seems that you do now."

"Yeah," she agreed, her voice dripping with sarcasam. "It seems that way, doesn't it?"

"Your attitude is not very appealing," he warned her, stepping closer to where she was chained up against the wall, still clutching the weapon in his hands. "Although, you would make a _beautiful_ queen..."

She spat at him, disgusted. "I'd rather be dead."

"Even so..." he continued with an evil grin. "I have noticed that the Tau'ri have a much greater capacity than any of the other races I have come across.That_ is _appealing..." he ran his fingers along her jaw line and she snapped her head around, shivering in contempt at the touch. Thoth chuckled, going back to his post by the door. "So feisty..."

Sam glared at him, a sneer manifest on her lips, "You're wasting your time. I wont tell you anything that I know."

His lips curled and he set the P90 down on the table beside him, picking up a smaller, automatic weapon. "This is nothing I did not already know. I have already obtained all the information I need from Major Sanchez. He has been _very_ helpful- and cooperative, something that I suggest you learn." He cocked the weapon, and leveled it with her head. "Where are the others?"

So much for not asking questions. "What others?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"The teams that were sent through the Stargate, Colonel Carter. Many of my men have been slain by them, I know they are here to attempt a rescue."

Pursing her lips together, she rested her back against the wall she was chained to. No way in hell was she going to tell him about Jack and those with him. He could kill her if he wanted to, but by the time any of his Jaffa realized a rescue mission was underway Daniel, Teal'c, and the rest of her teams would be long gone- that was all that mattered to her.

As Thoth's finger tightened on the trigger of the automatic weapon she vaguely recognized it as a Beretta, and as the bullet ripped through the air she wondered where Jack was at that moment, and if Daniel was finally safe.

**XXXX**

All thirteen of the men in the small cell had their backs firmly planted against the wall farthest from the door, even though they knew the device which they were using to blow the lock would only do harm to the _inside _of it, not the outside nor anything else. Still, things could go wrong, right? They weren't taking any chances.

The only indication that the explosive even worked was the slight rattle of the bars and the faint squeak of the door as it slightly opened from the sudden motion. They nervously waited for a few seconds, praying that none of the Jaffa had noticed the noise, expecting the worst. However, after they waited for an ample amount of time nobody came- so they could move on with step two of their escape plan. Quietly they filed out of the cell, the three remaining SG-2 members watching the door, and waited for the more noticeable explosion to follow.

On the other side of the wall, Jack and his rescue teams readied the C-4, then backed up far enough so that they were out of the blasts range, but not so far that it would put those inside at a greater risk. Then, they let it blow. It was loud and sudden, and even he had to admit the blast left him feeling a bit vulnerable, as all of them did. However, he didn't let that slow him down and as soon as the initial smoke and flames were cleared he and his teams raced for the building, just as those inside were racing out.

They met in the middle, "Teal'c, you're with me... you too, Colonel Jennings. We're going to find Carter and Craig, the rest of you head back for the 'gate."

"I'm coming with you," Daniel demanded. "It's my fault she's in there."

Jack would have argued with him, but he didn't have the time and he knew that Sam didn't either. "Fine... somebody give Daniel and Teal'c a staff and let's go."

Two staff weapons were handed over immediately and then the groups parted ways.

By the time they got back to the cell there were at least seven or eight Jaffa cluttered inside the room, confused about where their prisoners had gone. They had been trained for such meetings, however, and it didn't take long for the threat to be eliminated. Once they were taken care of the four of them ventured out of the room and down the halls, eyes darting around in search for signs of danger.

What none of them expected, however, was the sudden, shrill bang of a gun going off, and then the deep, painful shout that followed.

**XXXX**

The bullet ripped through her shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. _Damn it_, that _hurt_!

"Now that I have your full attention, Colonel, maybe you can answer my question. _Where_ are they?" he growled.

"Fuck you," she spat out through the pain.

He threw the Beretta to the floor and picked up the P90, aiming it at her, "Where are they?"

She stared at him icily but didn't reply to his question. He snarled and his finger tightened the trigger of the weapon, but before he could get another shot out a crash from the door caught Thoth's attention, as well as Sam's. Teal'c came bounding through the door, fired a shot at Thoth, taking him down immediately. Jack came through the door after him, holding his gun up, ready to fire, followed by Daniel and Colonel Jennings of SG-5. Jack and Daniel rushed to her side, studying the chains that had her tied down.

"Shit," Jack mumbled, tugging at the metal. "Where's the key?" he demanded, looking around. "Somebody find the God_damned_ key!"

Jennings searched through the pockets of the fallen Goa'uld and pulled out a large, brass colored key. "I think this is it, sir."

Jack snatched it out of his hand and shoved it into the locks, it _fit_! Three locks later she was free and nurturing her damaged shoulder, and the five of them were making a run for it. The halls were still empty, but as soon as they made it to the cell she had once been held in a familiar scowling face came into view. Ri'dek glared at the five of them, balancing his staff in his hands. Jack was quick on his toes, though, and fired off a round into his chest, causing the large Jaffa to crash to the ground.

"Wait!" Sam cried before they went further, "What about Sanchez?"

"He's a Goa'uld," Jack said, like she hadn't _already_ known so.

"I know, but... we could get him to the Tok'ra. And, Craig's family deserve to give him a proper burial."

Jack sighed, glancing around the hallways. They were still empty, no doubt everybody was asleep at such a late hour. "Ok... but only if you and Daniel head back for the 'gate. You're injured, you won't be any help."

She would have objected, if not for the burning pain in her shoulder. Reluctantly she nodded, then she and Daniel headed on their long run for the 'gate.

**XXXX**

"_Unauthorized off-world activation!" _Davis' voice called over the intercom, _"Unauthorized off-world activation."_

Fehr snapped awake and scrambled out of bed, ignoring the stab of protest from his still healing leg. He quickly pulled on the pants that were lying beside his infirmary bed and ran to the control room, along with many others who knew of the situation on P9D-785. By the time he made it into the control room the embarkation room was crawling with airmen and their guns.

"It's SG-10's iris-code," Davis' announced to no one in particular. The CO was gone, the 2IC was gone, as was SG-2. Fehr, being a member of SG-3- the only member left, was currently the highest officer on base. But, since he was only a lieutenant that only went so far and Davis didn't exactly need his permission to open the iris- which he did immediately.

The metal swirled open, exposing the shimmering blue liquid of the event horizon. The shimmering blue, untouched liquid of the event horizon.

And they waited.

And waited.

Nearly five minutes later Captain Tracy of SG-10 walked through the 'gate, followed by his CO and the two lieutenants of the team. Following them were three of the SG-5 marines, SG-8, and the captured teams SG-2, 4, and 6. But, no General O'Neill, no Colonel Jennings, and no SG-1.

"Close the iris!" Major Staley of SG-8 ordered. "We've got some Jaffa on our sixes!"

The metal barrier closed and seconds later the 'gate shut down.

Leaving SG-1 and General O'Neill on the planet...

Alone.

**XXXX**

**A/N: Ah! Cliffhangers... don't you just love them? **

**Let me know what you think about this chapter. More to come soon! I swear.**

** Oh, yeah- sorry about the language in this chapter... I don't really curse, unless I have good reason to, but in that kind of situation (i.e. being shot...) I figure cussing is only going to be natural. I try to tune it down a bit... but I never really manage to.  
**


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty Three**

**Disclaimer: Nah, they're still not my property.**

**A/N: I am shocked to find that you guys don't enjoy cliffhangers! However, I do- so there is a good chance there's more where that last one came from!**

**XXXX**

The two of them hadn't gotten more than fifteen yards when Daniel stopped her, claiming he was worried about her shoulder. Although she wouldn't have admitted it to him, she was worried, too. She had done her best not to show the full force of the pain she was in, which was excruciating. In her mind she could imagine the worst, her shoulder blade was shattered, and the injury could cause her to never be able to go through the 'gate again. However, she kept her thoughts positive. If the wound was that bad she would be in a lot more pain than she was, and wouldn't even be able to move her arm, if only a bit. At that moment she was still able to move her fingers, which told her that the nerves in her arm were still intact, and she could lift her shoulder slightly- albeit it causing herself tremendous pain in the process.

For some reason, unbeknownst to her, Daniel felt it necessary to stop in the middle of open grounds to make sure her shoulder wasn't worse than they thought. Of course she protested, telling him that once they got to a safer area he could play doctor, making sure to remind him of the fact that he was a doctor of _archeology_, not medicine. He retorted, telling her that even though it wasn't his area of expertise he knew enough about human anatomy to understand that the profuse bleeding was a _bad_ thing- emphasis on _bad._

When they came upon the woods the two hid behind a clutter of trees, where she got rid of her blood soaked shirt, thankful that she had worn a tank-top underneath that was, for the most part, untouched by her still flowing blood. Daniel took the shirt and tore it in half, then did his best in providing a tourniquet, oddly placed as it was. The other half of the shirt was used in covering the wound, causing much discomfort to the colonel, which she promptly hid from her friend.

When she was 'doctored' up they headed out again, weaving through the trees rather than walking in the open. By the time the 'gate was in their view they knew that returning home wouldn't be as easy as they had originally thought. Because, there, guarding the Stargate were at least a dozen angry Jaffa.

"Shit," Sam cursed under her breath.

Daniel nodded in agreement, pulling out his radio. "Jack," he whispered into the handheld device. "We've got a bit of a problem here."

**XXXX**

"_Jack,"_ his radio sprang to life. _"We've got a bit of a problem here."_

"Great," he muttered to himself before raising his radio to his lips. "What's your situation?"

"_The 'gate is surrounded by Jaffa,"_ Daniel explained._ "We can't get through and Sam is still bleeding badly."_

Jack cursed to himself, "Are you in a secured area?"

"_We're in the woods, Sir,"_ Sam said, taking over the radio _"our position hasn't been compromised."_

"Stay where you are," he ordered. "We're on our way."

"_Have you found Craig's body or Major Sanchez yet?"_

"No," he told her, "but at the moment a Goa'uld and a dead man aren't as important as two alive and well members of my team."

"_Yes,"_ she informed him,_ "they are. We're fine, Sir. The bleeding has slowed signifiganctly,"_ which was a lie, but he didn't need to know that,_ "and we're well hidden. Keep looking for them, Sir. Don't worry about us."_

Yeah, like_ that _was going to happen anytime soon."Are you sure that your position hasn't been made, Colonel?" he questioned.

"_If it had we'd know by now,"_ she replied, her voice betraying the calm facade she was trying to contain._ "We'll keep in touch... Carter, out."_

Then, as soon as it had come to life it died, leaving them in the silent hallway. His eyes darted around him, surveying the area, and fell upon a set of golden double doors. "There," he ordered, pointing in the direction of the doors.

Teal'c and Jennings didn't need to be told twice, they followed him to where he had pointed and Teal'c pressed a button, which in turn caused the doors to slid open, revealing a large, gold sarcophagus. They exchanged looks, and O'Neill nodded his head slightly, telling to two that nothing had changed, then walked into the room. Standing over the sarcophagus his curiosity got the best of him, and he pushed the button he knew would activate it.

The alien technology unfolded for him, revealing the sleeping form of a Marine Corps Major, turn Goa'uld. Sanchez didn't remain asleep long, as his eyes snapped open as soon as the doors left him vulnerable, and a familiar flash passed through them. Before he could react Teal'c zatted him, and since he had been in such a weak state he passed out easily. Teal'c then grabbed the man, pulling him out of the sarcophagus, and slung him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"One down," Jack whispered, "one to go."

**XXXX**

Lieutenant Matthew Fehr had been ordered to the infirmary as soon as Brightman had realized he was missing, which was only a little more than a minute since the SG teams had come through the 'gate, from what they said with Jaffa on their tails. He had scowled and attempted to protest, but he did so vainly, knowing there was no way the Doctor would let him stay on his leg any longer- he wasn't even supposed to be on it for at least two days.

She had threatened to pump him full of medication that would cause him to sleep, but he assured her that he would stay in bed- the last thing he wanted to do at the moment was sleep, and even if he was holed up in the infirmary he would learn more than he would had he been drugged. Since she knew this she decided not to give him the medicine and ordered him to stay in bed, if he so much as stuck his pinky toe over the edge he'd be out before he knew it. Fehr wasn't exactly in the betting mood, so he followed her orders.

He was in there for no more than ten minutes before a whole group of airmen thronged into the infirmary, no doubt for their post-mission examinations. Luckily for him, the airman who had been assigned the bed next to him was Captain Bridges, second in command of SG-4, and a close friend of his.

"Jeff," he called out to the man as he received his first shot. "What happened over there, man?"

"We were captured," he told him, plain as day.

"I know_ that_," Fehr replied, trying not to sound annoyed with the man. He had, in fact, just been stuck on an alien planet, captured by Jaffa who probably would have very much enjoyed making him suffer. Jeffery Bridges was probably his closest colleague at the SGC, and he wanted the man to know how relieved he was that he had not been hurt. "What happened before you escaped?"

"General O'Neill showed up," Bridges explained. "Used some kind of clay bomb and C4 to allow us an escape path."

"What about the others? Dr. Jackson, Colonel Carter, Teal'c, and Colonel Jennings- not to mention the General himself, where are they?"

"Colonel Carter had been captured by Thoth," Jeff needn't explain who Thoth was, since Fehr had been one of the first humans to know of them Goa'uld. "They went to find her, that's all I know."

Matt nodded, "You ok?"

Captain Jeffery Bridges snorted as he was pricked with yet another needle, "Starving- but besides that, just a bit tired." He shot a dirty look at the nurse who had stuck him, but she didn't show any signs of caring about his discomfort. This was her job, of course.

Fehr nodded, although he had been knocked out more times than he cared to remember he was still exhausted from his days on 785. Hiding from Jaffa, whilst nursing a wounded leg would take a lot out of anybody... except maybe Teal'c.

The attending nurse told him that his examination was finished, but he was welcomed to stay in the infirmary and rest some if need be. Bridges thanked her but declined, obviously his hunger was far more important than his lack of sleep. With a tired grin he turned to his friend, "I'll sneak you in something later, ok buddy?"

Fehr smiled in return, "Don't worry about it, Jeff. You just get you some food and then go to bed."

Bridges nodded, "How's the leg?"

"Hurts like a mother," he told him with a sigh. "But, I'll be fine."

"I'm glad you're ok," Jeff assured him. "You get some rest, too, alright buddy? You look like you shit."

It was Fehr's turn to snort, "You're not exactly the picture of perfection, yourself, there bud."

Jeff threw some kind of walled up ball of paper at him and mumbled something about Matthew 'just being jealous' before walking out of the infirmary with one thing on his mind, dinner.

**XXXX**

It had been approximately twenty minutes since Daniel and Sam had ended their conversation with Jack via the radio when his voice broke through the eerie silence._ "Colonel," _he whispered, due to their position.

"Yes, sir." she replied in full military mode. No sense in getting personal, it would only make things more difficult. She needed the surname's and ranks. If she didn't have them, she knew she'd crumble.

"_We've found them both... Craig is gone."_

Sam cursed under her breath, although she had known as much when Thoth had been interrogating her. "And Sanchez?"

"_Passed out,"_ he replied. _"Teal'c says that if Craig hasn't been gone for too long he can be revived."_

"There's a sarcophagus?" she questioned, that was the only logical explanation for the word revived, of course.

"_Yeah, we're taking him there now. Hopefully it hasn't been that much time."_

Sam glanced at her wrist watch, "It's been at least two hours, sir."

"_He think's it can be up to four or five, so we should be alright. It might take some time, though. Seeing as the sarcophagus has to actually bring him back to life, rather than just heal him."_ The tone in his voice asked if she and Daniel were able to wait- and be safe at the same time. Sam knew that if they were in the least bit of danger Jack would come running, better to save two lives than one.

"We'll be fine, sir. Our position still hasn't been made." _Yet._

"_Are you certain?"_ he questioned, knowing her there could be ten Jaffa surrounding them and she would still have him save Craig.

"Yes, sir. I am one hundred percent positive."

The crispness of her voice betrayed her shaking hands, and Sam was thankful that Daniel couldn't see her fear in the darkness. What she didn't know, however, was that the archeologist was shaking, too. Just as she was afraid, so was he. And neither would ever admit it to each other.

Jack, too, felt a shiver run down his spine, although he did not voice such out loud. Rather, he nodded at her reply. "If anything, and I mean _anything_ leads you to believe otherwise, I am ordering you to make contact with me."

"_Yes, sir."_ came her reply, the ready and able solider.

"O'Neill out," he said with the slightest bit of worry. It was so small, however, that not even Teal'c picked up on it.

Jack put down his radio and signaled towards Jennings, who at the time was carrying the deceased Dr. Craig over his shoulder in the same fireman's carry that Teal'c had Sanchez in. The three of them disappeared into the room which they knew held a sarcophagus.

They were going to bring him home- _alive_.

**XXXX**

Although Lieutenant Fehr had told him not to worry about it Captain Bridges returned half an hour after he left, carrying a plate full of desserts- and two forks.

"What good is sugar if you don't have somebody to share it with?" he asked as he sat on the edge of his friends bed, handing him a fork.

Fehr shrugged, thankful that he had yet to fall asleep, and took the fork willingly.

The two ate the chocolate cake that Bridges had brought in silence for the lighter part of five minutes before Fehr spoke. "Aren't you worried, Jeff?" he asked him, a bit unnerved that his friend hadn't voiced any worry for those left behind. "I've been jumpy since I returned and here you are, calm and collected."

Bridges nodded, "Of course I'm worried- who wouldn't be?" He set his fork down and continued, "But you've got to remember one thing, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c are on SG-1 for a reason. They're the _best._ And, O'Neill wasn't promoted to General because of his people skills," Fehr cracked a smile, thinking of O'Neill's disregard for subordination. "And, Colonel Jennings is the leader the alpha Marine unit because he's that _good_. When you put all of them together there's not much of a chance for failure."

"But, there still is a chance."

Bridges nodded once more. "Hey, they saved my ass, didn't they?"

Matthew smiled lightly at his friends attempt to lighten the conversation and nodded his reply. "Unfortunately."

Jeffery Bridges frowned and pulled back the plate which held the cake, among other goodies. "Sorry, _Lieutenant_," he said with a grin. "But, I think that you need some sleep. Therefore, no more cake for you."

Lieutenant Matthew Eugene Fehr scowled, "You can't pull rank of me, that's cheating."

"Nope Matt," Bridges replied with a smirk, "that's the military."

**XXXX**

**A/N: So there you go, the next chapter is out and done with. I tried to establish that Fehr was a real person, and not some wounded solider, and that even Sam and Jack get worried from time to time... I hope that it didn't make the chapter suck. Let me know either way.  
Once again, I have no clue when it's going to end, but I'm starting to think that it won't be anytime soon. My muse is a very tricky thing, I guess.  
Also, as far as Dr. Craig is concerned, I could go either way easily. I guess, in the end, it depends on my reviews whether he comes back or not. Let me know.  
**


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty Four**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, the show is not my property.**

**XXXX**

Sam shuddered in the darkness, putting down her radio, and glancing over at the Stargate once more. It seemed to her that there were significantly less Jaffa surrounding the ancient device- and she wasn't sure whether that could be counted as a good thing or a bad thing. One the good side, when the general and the others finally arrived there would be less hostiles to take out, but she couldn't help but wonder _why_ there were less of them. Had they been called away on a more pressing issue, or had their position been made?

Throwing a suspicious look over her right shoulder, then twisted to look over her left shoulder painfully, not even bothering to suppress the wince that the motion caused. It wasn't like anybody could see it, since it was pitch black and Daniel wasn't paying attention to her, rather watching the 'Gate. When she felt sure that they were safe, for the moment, she turned back around and assisted Daniel in his reconnaissance.

It didn't take long for the unnerving silence to get to him, "What do you think's going on?" he asked, not even bothering to mention what he was speaking of. She already knew- he was talking about Jack.

"I can only hope that the sarcophagus is healing Craig," she whispered back, hoping that thus would end their conversation. It wasn't the brightest thing to be talking whilst hiding from a bunch of Jaffa, or _any_ enemy for that matter.

She heard him nod in the darkness, and could sense that he was getting ready to reply to her statement. "Let's not talk right now," she whispered, "I for one, would rather not be found."

"'K," he replied quietly. After that, nothing more was said.

She turned back to look at the 'Gate and knew instantly that something was wrong. There was another chunk of Jaffa missing, not to mention the fact that two or three of them were looking in their direction, saying something to each other. What was being said she could not now, not only did she not speak their language, but they were way too far away for even her heightened sense of hearing.

"_Shit,"_ she whispered.

Daniel was on his feet immediately, apparently he had noticed that they were no longer hidden, too. "Come on, Sam," he ordered, helping her up. "We need to get out of here... _now._"

**XXXX**

Fehr scowled to himself. When his friend began to threaten him with no more cake he had assumed the man was joking, he didn't think that he would actually _leave_. But, apparently he had been completely wrong, because after his little joke Captain Bridges took his plate full of sugary substances and exited the infirmary, under the watchful eyes of Doctor Brightman, who had just entered the infirmary.

"Stupid airmen," he mumbled to himself, suddenly extremely proud of the fact he was a marine. The doctor made her way to his bedside, an amused expression on her face.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?" she questioned with a slight smile, apparently she had observed their discussion.

Matthew Fehr shook his head, "No, Ma'am... When can I get out of this bed?"

Brightman gave him a stern look, "I may have let you out tomorrow, had you not jumped out of bed like a lunatic earlier. You probably slowed the healing of your leg down a bit, so we'll see how you're doing in two days."

"But I _can_ walk on it," and he had proved as much when he had jumped out of bed like a 'lunatic'.

She nodded, "I never indicated that you couldn't, just that you_ shouldn't_. Not unless you want even more damage done to it."

Another scowl formed on the marines face, "Ma'am, I'm positive that I'm capable of walking on it tom–"

"And, I don't doubt that you are," the doctor replied, cutting him off. "But, being the CMO of this facility, it's up to me _when_ you're able to be up and about. So, may I advise you quit arguing with me and follow my orders?"

Fehr immediately straightened in his bed, giving her a nod, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good," she agreed. "Now, get some rest."

He began to argue, but thought better of it and closed his mouth, simply nodding. Brightman checked some things on her clipboard and left his bedside, making her way to her next patient.

With a sigh the lieutenant laid down in his bed, closed his eyes, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

**XXXX**

Sam and Daniel ran through the trees as quickly as they could, attempting to get as deep into the woods as possible. When neither could run any further they sought out the tallest tree around, and after Daniel gave her a bit of a boost she began to climb up it, causing herself extreme pain in the process. When she had gotten far enough to where he could begin to climb he did exactly that, in withing five minutes they were each sitting on a high branch, praying that they were out of sight.

It didn't even take ten minutes for the Jaffa to pass underneath them, muttering something to each other. Sam looked over at Daniel, who shrugged- he couldn't hear them any better than she could.

From what she could tell they weren't going to be leaving the area anytime soon, which was definitely not a good thing since her arm was beginning to bleed again, she had torn the wound further while climbing. She and Daniel shared a look, and an entire conversation passed between the two in a matter of seconds before she nodded. Anybody would have been able to decipher the look on his face, they had to do something, and soon.

Fumbling quietly for the Beretta that General O'Neill had given to her before she and Daniel took off. Silently wishing she had her night-vison goggles she aimed the weapon at a tree in the distance, making sure the barrel was alined with a high-up branch, and fired. Since they were so high in the tree the noise from shooting wasn't as profound as the sound of a branch smacking into the ground at an extremely fast rate. That had been why she had chosen a higher branch, of course, get it's rate of acceleration up. If she had chosen a branch closer to the ground the noise would have not been as loud.

Her tactic worked perfectly. One Jaffa yelled for the others to 'Kree!' and took off towards the direction of the tree. It was time for part two of her plan. She pulled out the grenade in her jacket with a slight smile, thinking of Jack and his paranoia when it came to both her and Daniel. Although, she doubted that she could tease him about it anymore, since his overprotectiveness was indeed saving her life, if he hadn't been so worried about them he would have never given her the Beretta, or the grenade. He would have provided her with a staff, or a P90 and left it at that. She pulled the pin out of the weapon and threw it as far as she could, praying that it would land in the right spot.

And it did. The next thing both of them knew a brilliant ball of flames erupted from the area where the Jaffa were searching for the source of the strange sound, and the air around them lit up for a second, providing them with the chance to see how much damage had been done.

One Jaffa standing. Sam raised her gun once more, aimed at the Jaffa's head, and fired. The shot hit it's target and the Jaffa went down in a crumpled heap, next to his burning friends. None of which were moving.

Then, they waited. It was possible that the fireball had caught the attention of other Jaffa, but they had gone so deep in the woods that it was unlikely. Sam, however, was not going to take any chances. The last thing she needed was to be captured by an over-zealous Jaffa... again. When ten minutes had passed and nobody had come into their view she pulled out her radio.

"General O'Neill," she whispered into the device. "What's your situation?"

**XXXX**

"_General O'Neill,"_ his radio spoke._ "What's your situation?"_

"Still waiting, Carter." he replied, glancing around the room. Teal'c still had Sanchez slung over his shoulder, and the Goa'uld had yet to waken up, which he had been asked then he would have said that such was very odd, since zat's don't tend to have such a lasting effect.

"_Has there been any process?"_ she questioned.

"We haven't checked yet, Carter."

"_It's been almost an hour,"_ she informed him, as if he hadn't already known. Which, he really hadn't... but that wasn't the point.

"What's _your _situation?" he asked, turning the subject around.

"_Daniel and I are currently hiding out in a tree far from the 'Gate, sir."_ she replied with a bit of hesitance. _"Our position was made, but I have taken care of that. We are getting ready to climb back down, sir."_

He didn't question her as to how she rectified being found, neither of them had the time to be doing such things. He did, however, take the time to warn her to be careful. "Watch out for Danny," he said, nonchalant. Which, really hadn't been what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell Daniel to watch out for her, because she _was_ the one with the injured arm. But, he knew Sam, and he knew that implying that she needed help for any reason was not a smart thing to do. And while he wasn't the smartest man on the world, he knew enough to understand that he didn't want Carter angry at him when they returned home- for more reason than the obvious.

"_Sir, yes sir."_ she replied. _"Carter, out."_

Then the radio died once more.

Jack looked around the room, it was only him, Teal'c, and Jennings- not to mention the passed out Goa'uld over Teal'c's shoulder, and the presumably dead man in the sarcophagus.

He nodded towards the Colonel, "Open it up."

Jennings nodded, pressed the button to open the doors to the sarcophagus, and stood back. When the golden doors were fully opened Jack stepped forward and peered down into the device at the body lying in it.

His eyes fluttered.

"Holy _shit_," Jack muttered to himself, jumping slightly. He hadn't expected Craig to be alive, it had just been wishful thinking on his part. "He's alive."

Jennings grabbed the man by his shirt and pulled him out of the sarcophagus, allowing the doctor to lean on him for support. He had, in fact, just been dead for two hours. That would take a lot out of a person.

"Doctor Craig?" Jack questioned. "Do you know what's going on?"

He shook his head- not a clue. The last thing he knew he was being shot at by Thoth. And, it had hurt. However, now he felt no pain. So whatever had happened to him, he wasn't complaining.

Jack sighed and gave the doctor a nod, "We're going to get you out of here, ok? But, you have to help us."

Craig nodded, he didn't know how he could help, but if his boss said so he had no other choice. "Yes..." he managed through his sore throat, "sir."

"Good," Jack nodded. He looked over at the Marine, "If he starts to slack off will you be ok carrying him?"

Jennings looked over at Teal'c, then at the doctor. The man wasn't really that big, had to be less than 200 pounds. And Jennings being over 6 foot tall and extremely muscular was well over that mark. It would be no trouble for him to carry the man. "I'll be fine, sir."

"Alright," Jack said, glancing around. "Let's head out."

**XXXX**

"Hey, Jarhead," a voice whispered, forcing him out of his peaceful sleep. Lieutenant Matthew Eugene Fehr's eyes opened sleepily and he found himself looking up at his friend, Captain Bridges.

"I was _sleeping_, Jeff," he scolded, closing his eyes once more.

"I brought more cake," Bridges informed him.

Fehr's eyes snapped open, sure enough the airman was holding a plate that was occupied by a large piece of pineapple upside down cake. "No chocolate?" he asked. Sure, pineapple was good... but chocolate was the best.

Jeffery Bridges shook his head, "Nope. And it was either this or sponge cake."

Fehr made a face, and reached out for one of the forks that was on the plate. "Why are you being so nice to me, Bridges?"

Bridges smiled lightly, the look on his face turning serious. "We went out there to save _you_, Matt, and you ended up saving_ us_. I think that deserves a lifetime supply of cake... don't you?"

Well, no. He didn't. He was just doing his job, anyway. However, Fehr wasn't going to argue with his friend. If Bridges thought he deserved all the cake in the world, then who was he to argue?

"Whatever you say..." and with that he took the first bite of the cake.

"Besides," his friend added with a shrug. "The nurse who lets me sneak the cake in is cute."

**XXXX**

**A/N: Alright... so there it is. Craig is alive. I really didn't want to kill him off in the first place, but that's how the story went... and then I felt bad. Oh well. Hopefully it turned out good.  
Oh, and if you guys are getting bored with the whole Lieutenant Fehr thing, just let me know. I rather like his character, but then again that's probably because he's a complete figment of my imagination. And, I think that Stargate doesn't give enough credit to the Marines that are on the show. I happen to like Marines (which, is for the most part solely because I'm the daughter of a Marine, myself) Anyway... if you're tired of him I can stop writing him in so much. But, I like him, so I don't know...**


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty Five**

**Disclaimer: Nah, not mine.**

**A/N: Yes, in this story Sam and Jack are together. However, in such situations they have to remain professional, they can't let their personal feelings get in the way of their mission.**

**I'm glad you guys don't all out hate the idea of Fehr, but I think that I'm going to slow him down a bit... spend more time dwelling on the situation on 785. So, I think the next time he comes in will be when SG-1 returns.**

**Oh... the idea about Cassie and Fehr was a good one. Only, Cassie is engaged in this story. In John Doe she's single, but not this one. Sorry. I liked the idea, though.**

**XXXX**

Exiting the compound wasn't nearly as hard as entering it was. It was pitch dark and most of the Jaffa were busy with kelnoreem, and Jack and his team were sure to be as quiet as possible. In the end, they only had to zat three Jaffa who had been guarding the front doors.

Jennings did end up carrying Craig, although it was no problem for him, the man was tall, but fairly skinny. He didn't turn out to be the problem. Sanchez... or rather the Goa'uld wrapped around his spinal cord, was.

They had been walking for approximately ten minutes when the man began to move on Teal'c's shoulder, presumably waking up from the shock of the zat gun. Only seconds later was he thrashing about, yelling in Goa'uld. When he finally realized that doing so wasn't going to get him anywhere he began to yell in English.

"I demanded that I be released!" he barked. "This instant."

Jack shrugged, "Give the man what he wants, Teal'c."

The Jaffa looked at his leader with a raised eyebrow, but followed his orders all the same, although not at all gently. Sanchez was thrown to the ground, which produced a nice 'thud' and a painful moan. Before the Goa'uld could do anything further Jack pulled out his zat gun and fired. It had been plenty of time since he had been zated last, so doing so again would only stun the man, not kill him. Teal'c once again picked him up, slung him over his shoulder, and continued walking. With any luck, Sanchez would remain in that state until they reached the 'gate.

"Cater," he whispered into his radio. "What's your position?"

"_We're currently hiding among the trees northeast of the 'gate,"_ came her reply, causing Jack to wince at the hidden strain in it.

"Is it in your view?"

"_Yes, sir, it is."_

Good, now they knew what to expect. "How many Jaffa?"

"_At least fifteen, sir. Maybe ten."_ A large number for most, but not SG-1, and certainly not O'Neill.

"We're on our way..." he told her. "We're about a half hour walk from the 'gate."

"_Make sure to stay close to the trees, sir."_ As if he didn't already know. Under other circumstances he might have been annoyed by one of his officers being worried about him, but not when it was Sam.

"We will, Colonel." he promised. "O'Neill, out."

He clipped his radio back to his vest, looked to Jennings and Teal'c, and began walking once more.

**XXXX**

It had been maybe twenty minutes since her last conversation with him when the radio sparked up once more. _"Carter, come in."_

"Yes, sir." she replied, her eyes shifting around the area, searching for signs of him.

"_We're coming up behind you,"_ he informed her. _"Don't shoot us, alright?"_

She grinned despite herself, "I won't shoot you sir," she assured him. "How far away are you?"

"_From what we can tell, five minutes."_

"Daniel and I are waiting," she replied. "Carter, out."

A deep, ragged sigh escaped her lips. They were close by. This mission was finally going to be over.

Daniel, too, sighed with the realization. This had certainly been the worst possible starting over mission for Sam, in so many ways. First, they were captured, one of her men was taken, and killed (no matter that he was revived in the end), then she, herself was shot. Which, was still something he was deeply concerned about. She had torn the wound while climbing up the trees, and although she hadn't spoken of any discomfort he knew she was in a ton of pain. The bleeding had stopped, with much coaxing, but, nonetheless, she still needed medical attention.

"Are you ok, Sam?" he questioned, throwing her a worried look that he knew she wouldn't see in the darkness. The tone is his voice was enough, however, to get his point across.

"I'm fine, Daniel."

Damn that stupid word, _fine_. Did anybody really mean it when they said that they were _fine_? He knew that he never did.

"What about you?"

Daniel shrugged to himself, "I'm fine..."

A snort was her only reply. Sure he was. She had seen him limping when they got out of the tree. She knew he had done something to his ankle. Nonetheless, she accepted his answer, at least for the time being.

A crunch from behind caught their attention, and both twirled around, guns raised. Of course, they knew O'Neill was close by, but that didn't mean they could automatically assume safety.

"Hey," Jack said, holding his weapon up. "I thought I asked you not to shoot us."

Sam smiled slightly, but it was because he was there and not a byproduct of his joke. Jack took in her appearance and frowned, she looked worse now than she had before.

"There still fifteen of them?" he asked, pushing his worry aside temporarily. He would pick up on it later, right then they needed to get off that damn planet.

She nodded, "The same as before, sir."

The sound of her voice deepened his frown, the pain could be clearly heard, even though she was doing a wonderful job of hiding it otherwise. To the untrained eye Samantha Carter was perfectly fine, to those who knew her she was in a great deal of pain, just ignoring it the best she could.

"Are they in range?"

"Yes, sir. They are."

"Alright... everybody, get into position."

**XXXX**

Sam dug her fingernails into the dirt, wincing at the pain in her shoulder, and waited. To her left, Jack and Teal'c stood behind large trees, and to her right Jennings stood behind a tree as well. Daniel was also to her right, but lying in the ground as well, and Craig was still far too disorientated to brandish a weapon. Sanchez was directly behind her, being watched by Craig, bound and gaged, and still passed out. The Goa'uld within him was apparently very weak, because each time the zat had put him down for hours.

A slight rustling noise from her left caught her attention and she turned her eyes towards her CO. With a wave of his right hand he told them that it was time, and she aimed her weapon at the Jaffa guarding the 'Gate. The next noise, a quick clicking, told her to fire. And she did. Straight at the Jaffa that was standing next to the DHD. He went down in a crumpled heap, as did a few others with him. Those still standing looked around alert, trying to see where the gunfire was coming from.

It was too late for them though. As soon as the first group had gone down, so did the second, and then finally the third. Within minutes the threat had been eliminated, and SG-1 and those with them started running for the 'Gate. Now or never. They had to get home. This was it. Their last chance.

Daniel ran ahead, under the watchful eyes of the general, and dialed the 'Gate. With one swift motion the blue water jumped forward then snapped back, and Jennings quickly entered his code.

The last few seconds they spent on the planet were used giving each other worried looks. Did the code go through? Were there Jaffa on their way... close enough to pose a threat to their return home?

Jennings was the first to go through, accompanied by Doctor Craig, then followed by Teal'c, and a very much awake, but still bound and gaged, Sanchez. Daniel walked up to the Stargate, turned to look at the two still behind him, gave a sigh of relief, and went through. Leaving Jack and Sam as the last two Tau'ri on the planet. With her good arm she reached out for his hand, and held it in her own, intertwining their fingers. He looked over at her lovingly and then they too walked through the 'Gate.

She was finally home... again.

**XXXX**

He had only been asleep for the lighter part of half an hour when the alarms sounded off. "Unauthorized off world activation," Davis' called out frantically. "Unauthorized off world activation."

The same thing that was running through the minds of every base personnel crossed his, SG-1 and the General were coming through. Glancing around the infirmary first, to make sure Brightman was no where around, he threw the blankets off of his body, and slid out of the bed. Thankfully, he was wearing pants, so he didn't have to worry about his attire as he limped down the halls of the SGC. People dunked out of his way, and some even followed him to the Control room, thinking the same thing he was.

Fehr got to the room just as the iris swirled, revealing the crystal blue liquid of the event horizon. As Colonel Jennings of SG-5 stepped through the 'Gate Captain Bridges walked up beside Fehr, and a gasp of surprise could be heard from the man as he realized who was with him.

"How...?" he stopped mid-sentence, his jaw dropped open.

Lieutenant Fehr was too preoccupied to worry about the amazement in his friends voice, but when the next person walked through his own gasp filled the air. "What the fu-" he stopped himself before he could finish his phrase, and stared out at the large Jaffa who was currently carrying a thrashing Goa'uld on his shoulder.

With the initial shock still hanging in the air, Daniel stepped through the 'Gate, then turned, waiting for his friends. A few seconds later General O'Neill and Colonel Carter stepped through the event horizon, hand in hand, and then the Stargate shut itself down. Upon seeing the Colonel, Davis called for the medics, and Fehr and Bridges began their descent to the embarkation room.

They entered amongst a gaggle of medical staff, unnoticed by the worried doctors and nurses, but not so by the others. General O'Neill gave the man a concerned look, obviously wondering what he was doing out of bed, but Fehr didn't pay him any mind, although the man was his boss and he should do everything he said. Matthew was too concerned with the man Teal'c hand slung over his shoulder. His former CO, Major Sanchez.

"He's a Goa'uld..." Fehr stated plain as day. Yeah, like they hadn't already know that.

"Indeed," Teal'c said with a nod. "He is."

"He's a Goa'uld." Fehr repeated, and Teal'c picked up on the underlying question.

"The Tok'ra have the technology to remove the Goa'uld without causing harm to the host."

Of course, Fehr had already known that. It just hadn't occurred to him until that exact moment. "And, Sanchez will return to normal?"

"As normal as he will be able to be, in the situation," Daniel informed him. The archeologist knew what kind of emotional and mental strain having a symbiote could do to a person because of Sarah, who he still kept regular contact with. It was something even the strongest minds would have a tough time getting over. Speaking of which...

"He'll be ok, eventually," Carter added, wincing when a medic touched her shoulder.

That was good enough for Fehr, Carter had been host to a Goa'uld before. Of course, it had been a Tok'ra, in all truths, but she still had to go through the ordeal of having a snake wrapped around her spinal cord, taking control of her body at will. Samantha Carter was an extremely strong person, as was Sanchez, so Fehr didn't have any worries.

The Goa'uld on Teal'c's shoulder didn't seem to thrilled by the notion of being removed by a bunch of Tok'ra, and showed his disdain for the idea by trashing about violently. Teal'c scowled and set the man down on the floor. Since he was still bound he couldn't do much besides tug at his ropes and flash his eyes.

Seconds later, Doctor Brightman walked into the 'Gate room, causing groans from more than one person. Fehr, because he was supposed to still be in the infirmary, Sam because she knew once the doctor got a look at her shoulder she would be holed up in the infirmary, and Jack because whenever a doctor was near him it usually meant he was going to be poked and prodded with some sort of big needle.

Fortunately for Jack and Sam, Fehr was the one she was searching for. "Lieutenant Fehr," she barked. "What are you doing out of bed?"

Matthew Eugene Fehr was normally quick on his toes, but around Doctor Brightman he never knew what to say. Whatever he would have normally come up with would just end up making her even more upset than she already was. Finally, he settled with an apology. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

She gave him an incredulous look, like she didn't believe he was truly sorry. "Back into the infirmary, Lieutenant. And, since this is the second time I have caught you out of bed, you will not be cleared to leave the infirmary for three days."

Fehr wanted to argue, but he knew better. "Yes, ma'am."

And with that he left the infirmary, chuckling slightly when he heard the good doctor make her way over to Colonel Carter, and demand that the medic who had been checking the wound move so that she could do it personally.

**XXXX**

**A/N: Sorry it took so long, but here it is!**


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty Six**

**Disclaimer: I'm still without claim.**

**Authors Note: Contrary to popular belief, I am not done with this story yet! I've still got a lot of loose ends to tie up, and even more to loosen! You'll have to stick with me for a bit longer, sorry :)**

**Ok... so engaged doesn't exactly mean things are set in stone. And, I have to admit, I really like the idea of Matt (Fehr) and Cassie as a couple, so maybe I'll play around with it a bit. Just to see how I feel about it further.**

**XXXX**

Fehr went directly to the infirmary, but this time he managed to stay awake while lying in bed. It was only a few minutes before Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Michael Craig were ushered into the room by Doctor Brightman, who was wearing a scowl. No doubt a bit perturbed that it was nearing time for her to go home, and because of the trio she would be stuck at the base well after hours. She pointed towards on bed and ordered Carter to it, along with a gaggle of medics to get her ready for her stitches, then gestured towards another bed and told Daniel to sit on it. Doctor Carmichael took over for her and ordered him out of his shoe, so that the good doctor could check his injured ankle. Then, Brightman herself too Craig to the bed directly beside Fehr's, and sat him down gently.

"How are you feeling, Doctor?" she questioned, taking out her pin light and flashing it in his eyes. Satisfied with the results she began to test his reflexes.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "I don't know why everybody is putting up such a fuss..."

From the look on Brightman's face, she was feeling a bit weary about telling the man _why_ everybody was worried about him. Which, Fehr understood because Bridges had informed him of the linguists untimely demise. It was obvious to Fehr that there had been a sarcophagus on the planet (with a bunch of Goa'uld's there, as well, he wasn't surprised) and Craig had been revived. But, did he really need to _know_ that piece of trivia?

Apparently, Brightman thought not. At least for the time being. "You were tortured, Doctor Craig. I have to make sure there's no extensive trauma."

"But, I'm _fine_," the man argued. And he was. Thanks to the sarcophagus.

"You appear fine," the doctor told him. "The sarcophagus healed your injuries _outwardly_. I have to make sure that it did it's job internally."

He sighed as her cold stethoscope came in contact with his chest, which was no bare thanks to the doctor.

"Everything feels normal," the man stated, trying to convince her to let him go. He was in desperate need of a shower.

The doctor only nodded. Of course it felt normal. If he had just been injured then she wouldn't be putting up so much of a fuss. But, he hadn't _just_ been injured. He had died. Quite tragically, at that.

"I know that you are not military personnel, doctor," Brightman said, "but you still have to follow _my_ orders. And, I am ordering you to cooperate."

Fehr snorted, she did that a lot. The sound caused a glare from the doctor, but it was only temporary, because she was busy with her patient. The look was a nasty one, and Fehr made a mental note to stop pushing his luck. At the rate he was going, he would be in the infirmary for another week.

**XXXX**

Sam had been sitting on the infirmary bed for nearly ten minutes before he walked in the room, eyes darting around, looking for her. A smile spread across her face, which was most likely a byproduct of the drugs she had recently been given, and his gaze fell upon her. He quickly made his way to her side, taking her hand into his and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"What did they say about your shoulder?"

She looked over at the wound, which was heavily bandaged for the moment, awaiting it's stitches. "I'm going to need a lot of stitching up, but the bullet was trough and through, and there's no fragments. Other than wearing a sling for a few weeks and being ordered light duty for the duration, I'll be fine."

Which was a miracle, in and of itself. Sam had already been informed that if the bullet had been even a centimeter to the left, or shot from a further distance, her shoulder blade could have been shattered. She was lucky that Thoth had been such a horrible shot, if he had been any better she might never have been able to go through the Stargate again.

"That's good," he told her. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," she told him. Which, was the truth... for the most part. Unlike most of the time when she said she was fine. "They've given me painkillers."

Jack understood immediately. He had been doped up by the doctors on staff at the SGC more times than he could count, and he had enjoyed it, for the most part, each and every time. "Ah," he told her with a grin. "I see."

She grinned despite herself, and intertwined her fingers with his. "How do _you_ feel?"

Him? There was nothing to worry about with him. "I'm good," he assured her. "My knees are fairly mad at me, but they'll get over it. They always do."

"Oh," she replied. "Ok."

He noticed the difference in her speech, and decided that the drugs were beginning to take full effect. "I'll let you get some sleep."

Sam had wanted to argue with him about that, but she was tired, and he was offering. "Will you be close?"

Jack nodded, there was no way he'd leave. "I'm going to talk to Danny."

There wasn't much she could do but nod and close her eyes. He waited until she fell asleep to pull his hand out of hers gently, then walked over to the bed where Daniel was lying down. Unlike Sam, he hadn't been given an IV of medication, only pills. Also, unlike Sam, he didn't have a serious injury... only a twisted ankle. Still, Dr. Carmichael had ordered he stay in bed all night, just in case.

"Hey, Danny boy." Jack greeted, slapping him on the shoulder gently. "How you doin'?"

"Just peachy," the archeologist muttered. He did not want to be in bed, he wanted to be in his office. Working on the rubbings he had brought back from P2D-331 nearly two months prior. Then, he saw a way out of his misery. "Hey... Jack," he asked, "do you mind getting me something from my office?"

The General gave him an incredulous look, "Is it in plain view?"

Daniel thought it over, then frowned. "Well... no."

"Then, yes. I do."

The man scowled, then thought of something else. "Can you order Doctor Carmichael to let me out of bed?"

Jack shook his head. Nope, he couldn't do that. Even if he was the leader of the base, that was strictly military wise. While Doctor Carmichael wasn't the CMO of the base (that spot was reserved for Brightman), he was her 2IC, and had almost full authority. Which meant that in cases involving a employees well being he had the authority. "Sorry, Danny... can't do it."

Scowling menacingly he sat back against the pillows, "What if I tell you where they are?"

Jack shook his head, "I promised Sam I would stay close."

At that moment, Doctor Brightman walked by, and Jack took the opportunity to call out to her. "Doctor," he greeted, walking over to the small woman. "How is he?"

Jack didn't have to specify who he was talking about, Brightman knew immediately. "Doctor Craig is in perfect health, General. I haven't told him what the full extent of his injuries were before he was placed in the sarcophagus, however. I figured that if you wanted him to know, you would be the one to tell him."

Jack frowned, yeah, he had been thinking about that. Still hadn't made his mind up, though. "That's fine, doctor. Are you on your way to see Colonel Carter?"

She nodded, "I will be stitching her up, yes."

"She's fallen asleep," he informed her. "How bad is her shoulder, really?"

"Not that bad," the doctor assured him. "She will require at least three weeks recovery, just to be on the safe side. But, after that she can return to full duty. If you keep me any longer, however, things could possibly be worse."

He got the hint and let her go to her work, turning back to Daniel. Jack wasn't fond of getting stitches (and, he had gone through the procedure plenty of times), so the last thing he wanted to do was watch Sam get them.

"So..." he asked Daniel, pulling up a chair. There were plenty of questions he was ready to ask about the mission, but the debriefing wouldn't be until the next morning, due to the late hour.

Daniel, on the other hand, decided that he was going to pick the subject of their conversation. He was the one condemned to a hospital bed, anyway. "So," he asked, "when are you going to ask Sam to marry you?"

Jack coughed at bit at the question, "Do what?"

"It's a simple question, Jack." Daniel replied, a smug grin on his face. It's not everyday you shock Jack O'Neill. "You love her, she loves you... where's the confusing part?"

"There's nothing _confusing_ about it, Daniel. It's just... we haven't really been seeing each other all that long. I don't want to rush her." Which was the truth. It had only been a few weeks since her descending, after all. Then, top it all off with the mission to 785. "We haven't even..." he trailed off, hoping his friend would pick up what he wasn't saying.

Daniel's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really? After all that time...?"

Jack understood his friends astonishment, he was sure that most people on the base thought the same thing he had. Jack had been in love with Sam for a long time, and she had been in love with him for probably longer, but their relationship had been moving slowly. He wasn't complaining about it, however. He liked the just dating stage they were in, in some ways in was like a high school romance. Holding hands, sharing quick, chaste kisses every five minutes, all those sorts of things.

"You really think I should ask her?" Jack asked, looking over at his friend.

"I think she would say yes, if you did." his friend replied. "So, why not?"

Jack mused over the notion for a moment. "I don't know... it's kind of soon, don't you think?"

"Well," Daniel added, "what you said was true. It has only been a couple of weeks..." He shrugged, "But, are you really counting from when she returned from ascension? You two were in love long before then, you know?"

Of course _he_ knew. "Yeah..." Jack sighed, why did Daniel always have to make things so complicated?

**XXXX**

Luckily for Jack, Sam had been passed out during his and Daniel's entire conversation, so she heard none of it. Had she been awake she probably would have, since her bed was directly next to his. But, after a long, awkward silence between Jack and Daniel, the General told his friend to get some rest and ventured over to Lieutenant Fehr's bed, bypassing Doctor Craig's, who was sleeping already.

Fehr was awake, however, and Jack wasn't surprised.

"Sir," he greeted, motioning towards a chair Jack could sit in.

The General opted to stand instead, but shook his head politely. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Can I help you, sir?" the Lieutenant asked. It wasn't everyday your CO visited you in the infirmary, anyway.

"Nah," he replied. "I just came to thank you."

Fehr was confused. "Thank me?"

"You saved a lot of people's lives, Lieutenant. Even though you were injured, and risking your own by doing so. Because of you, SG-1, SG-2, SG-4, and SG-6 are still here. That deserves a thank you, don't you think so?"

Matt didn't think so, he was just doing his job anyway. "Anybody would have done the same, sir."

Jack shook his head, "A lot of people would have given up. Or waited until they were no longer in immediate danger. Not you, you walked through open territory, even though you knew you could have been found, and killed. That's something special."

Lieutenant Fehr shook his head, "I don't understand, sir."

"That's alright," Jack assured him. "You don't have to understand it. I'm giving you my personal thanks, anyway. And, outside of that, the president has saw fit to raise your rank, because of your bravery."

"Excuse me?" Fehr asked. And he thought he had been confused before...

"Just what I said, Captain Fehr."

"_Captain_?"

"We'll have an official ceremony, of course, and the paperwork hasn't gone through, yet. But, it won't be long before you're ranking is up to Captain officially. And, moreover, if Sanchez does return then you will take over as his second in command, if not, then you will be receiving a new CO, but you will remain as 2IC."

Fehr was thrown, to say the least. Captain? Second in Command? All this for simply doing his duties as a Marine?

"I don't know what to say, sir..." which was the truth. He was speechless.

"You don't have to say anything, Captain. Accepting would be enough."

"Of course, I accept."

"Good," Jack patted his shoulder. "You get some sleep, now, Captain."

"Yes, sir." Fehr replied immediately, even though he wasn't the slightest bit tired.

Like he was going to argue with the man after he had just informed h im of his new rank and position.

**XXXX**

**A/N: See! There is still so much more to be covered with this story. It's not hardly done yet. **


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

**Disclaimer: Nope... the show isn't my idea, nor are the regular characters that appear on the show. The others that you've never heard of before my story (such as Fehr and Bridges) are my property, however.**

**XXXX**

Since Doctor Brightman had given her sedatives Sam remained asleep during the time she received her stitches, as well as many hours after that. When she did finally wake up, however, he was still sitting by her side, his elbows resting on his thighs, and his face hidden in his hands. At first she thought that he was asleep, but when she shifted in her bed he looked up at her, his eyes dark and heavy with lack of sleep.

"Afternoon," he greeted, his voice thick and strained.

Her eyes darted around the room, falling on the clock above the door to the infirmary. Sure enough it was already after 1300 hours, "How long..." her throat burned, causing her to cut her sentence short. He noticed, smiled lightly, and reached for the glass of water that was waiting for her on the table beside her bed. Sam's eyes followed his hand, landing on the water, and she, too, smiled faintly.

"All night," he replied, handing her the glass of water. "You asked me not to leave, so I didn't."

Sam took a long drink of the water, sighing as the cool liquid made contact with her dry throat, then handed the glass back to him. He took it and put it back in its rightful place, then turned back to her. "How do you feel?" he questioned, brushing a hand across her forehead, moving the stubborn locks of hair that had been lying in her eyes, hiding them from him.

"Arm hurts," she mumbled in reply.

He nodded, reaching out and taking her hand into his. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

She blushed a brilliant red, then smiled, "Yeah, but don't let that stop you from saying it again."

Jack couldn't help but grin, and lean forward, catching her lips with his for a brief moment. "More than you could ever know," he told her.

Giving his hand a squeeze she grinned, "Oh, I think I have an idea."

He shook his head, "Nah. I don't think so." he leaned forward and kissed her again.

Deciding that there was no way she could win at the game he was playing she changed the subject, "Did you have the debriefing?"

"We did," he said with a nod. "Didn't get too much accomplished, since you and Fehr are both still locked up in the Infirmary and you two played the more important roles in the mission, but I got the basics. The rest can wait for your report, and his."

"What about Doctor Craig?"

"He was given a clean bill of health from Brightman. The sarcophagus did it's job."

That was certainly good news. "Has he been told yet?"

"No," Jack replied, shaking his head. "I'm still deciding whether or not he _needs_ to know."

"What does he think happened, then?"

"Doctor Brightman simply told him that he was beaten to the point of unconsciousness, then we found him and brought him to the sarcophagus to be healed. He seems to believe it, which I don't see why he has to know that he died. It would only end up causing him paranoia every time he stepped through the 'Gate."

Which was something that Sam didn't doubt at all. She knew what it was like to be brought back with the healing powers of the Goa'uld device, and it wasn't fun. It only caused the injured person to be weary of themselves, as well as those around them. And, self doubt and being a member of a SG team didn't exactly go together.

"Maybe you're right..."

Jack recoiled in shock, "Wow. Could you say that again?"

She laughed and reached out to touch his cheek, "You were right, Jack."

A wide grin spread across his face, "Again?"

Her eyebrow crept up her forehead in true Teal'c fashion, and she shook her head. "I don't want you getting a bigger ego than you already have there, General."

He pretended to pout for a moment, before leaning over and kissing her yet again. "Are you hungry? I'm starved."

Well, she wasn't really hungry, but she could eat something. Sure. "Yeah... why don't you go get something for us, then bring it back here? Since it looks like I'll be in here for at least another day."

"Sounds good to me." That had been his original plan, anyway. "I'll be back in a few minutes." he told her as he got up from his seat on the side of the bed and headed towards the door.

"Take your time," she called after him, as she signaled for a nurse, who came over with an understanding look and helped her out of bed. "I think I'm going to shower."

He waved at her over his shoulder to let her know he heard and would comply, then walked out the door.

To Danny's office it was.

**XXXX**

The metal door slid open with a familiar hiss, causing Daniel to look over his shoulder in the general direction of the entrance to the room. When he saw that it was Jack standing in the middle of the doorway he set his rubbings down on his desk and reached for his fresh cup of coffee, taking a long sip of it. "Something I can help you with, Jack?" he asked, setting the mug back down, on top of one of his various language books.

His friend nodded, stepping into the room and taking a good look around. "Did you do something to the place?" he questioned, his eyes darting from bookcase to bookcase to fishtank. Something definitely looked different.

Daniel allowed his own eyes to dart around the room, yeah, he had changed it, almost a year prior. "No, Jack... it's the same as it's always been."

"Huh," Jack replied, taking one last look around. "I could have sworn..."

"Jack," Daniel interrupted. "As much as I enjoy the company, I was kind of in the middle of something."

"Oh," his friend said in realization. "Sorry..."

Sure he was. "Did you have something to ask me... or what?"

Jack slid his hands across his jean clad thighs, boy did it feel hot all of a sudden? "Just wanted to finish our conversation from yesterday..."

"Ah," the archeologist finally got it. "Well, now that you mention it, I can spare a few minutes. Why don't you sit down."

And he did just that, taking the chair directly in front of Daniel's desk and bringing it around the side so he could set face to face with his friend. "I want to ask, but I think it's too soon. And, I'd have no clue what to say..." he looked down at his hands, picking at the dirt under his fingernails. "It's different, ya know? With Sarah I wasn't nervous when I asked, I just looked her straight in the face and told her I loved her and wanted her to be my wife, then asked her to marry me. That doesn't seem like enough for Sam... she deserves something spectacular, something amazing. You know, the kind of thing that she'll still be telling our grandchildren about when she's old and gray."

Daniel smiled at his friend warmly, "Trust me, Jack... it's not going to matter what you say, just that you're asking. She loves you, she'll say yes no matter how you word it."

He sighed in response, rubbing his temples in an attempt to sooth his growing headache. "How long do you think I should wait?" he asked. "One month... two? Longer?"

"I don't know what to say to you, Jack," Daniel told him truthfully. "This is something new to me, I didn't ask Sha're to marry me... When you think it's the right time, ask. I can't tell you when that is, though."

A groan escaped his lips, "Yeah... I know."

"Do me a favor, though," Daniel asked, causing Jack to look up at him with a questioning look. "Don't be so nervous, alright? Women can sense things like that. It's in there genes or something."

Jack nodded, standing up from the chair and putting it back where he found it. "I've gotta go get her something to eat, before she starts to wonder where I ran off to."

"Let me know how things turn out," he asked, "when you actually figure it out."

With a sigh he waved goodbye to his friend, swiping his card, and waiting for the door to open. The metal sliding against medal hissed and moaned and Jack made a mental note to have somebody check all the doors on the base. When was the last time something like that happened, anyway? Whenever it was, it hadn't been anytime soon, and Daniel's door proved that.

Mulling over what he and his friend had discussed he made his way to the elevator and slid his key card over the reader, then waited as the doors spread open. The elevator was empty, much to his thanks, and he stepped inside with a audible sigh that nobody was around to hear. Pressing the button for level 24 he stood back, leaning against the metal bar, and waited.

**XXXX**

Sam's hair was still damp when she was helped back into her bed, she hadn't felt up to standing around for it to be dried so the nurse had simply toweled it. It was short, anyway, it wouldn't be long until it was dry. She glanced at the clock above the door, noting that it was already after 1400, and Jack was still not in the room. Knowing him he had stopped by to see Teal'c or Daniel.

When she looked around the room she was surprised to see that Lieutenant Fehr had been moved from his bed at the end of the row to the bed directly next to hers, and that he was sleeping soundly. Frowning to herself she wondered what he was still doing in the infirmary, when it had been two days since he had returned from 785, or so Jack had told her. She looked around the room and singled for the same nurse who had helped her shower.

"What's wrong with him?" she questioned.

The nurse glanced over at the Lieutenant, "He got a pretty bad gash on his leg, had to get it stitched up. He could have been out today, on crutches, but he kept defying Doctor Brightman's orders and getting out of bed. It didn't cause his leg any trauma, but Doctor Brightman was pretty sore about it, so she's keeping him until tomorrow morning."

Sam smiled, "How old is he? 27?"

Nurse Rivers shook her head, "25."

"Wow," she replied, a bit surprised. "He's a bit young to be a 1st Lieutenant."

Rivers' grinned, "Has General O'Neill not told you? He's been bumped up to Captain."

She looked over at him once more, "Huh... I hadn't heard."

Nurse Rivers was about to reply when a gasp from the door caught both hers and Sam's attention, and she turned towards the noise. Cassandra Fraiser stood in the doorway, a worried expression on her face.

"Cassie," Sam greeted, waving her over. "Don't be so loud, huh? Some people are tying to sleep."

The younger woman glanced around the room, her eyes falling on the sleeping Lieutenant, who happened to be the only other patient there. "Sorry..."

"Just don't do it again," she told her, as Cassie pulled up a chair beside her bed.

"How does your shoulder feel?" she questioned.

"I'm fine," Sam assured her. "I've been hurt worse."

Jack walked through the door, carrying a tray off food. He looked at Cassie and smiled, "You're in my seat, youngin."

She rolled her eyes, but got out of the seat all the same. Instead of finding another chair to sit in she went to the foot of Sam's infirmary bed. "How are you, Jack?"

He shrugged, "I'm fine..."

Cassie gave him an incredulous look. She knew Jack O'Neill, and he certainly wasn't fine. Maybe he wasn't hurt, but something was definitely bothering him. When she turned to Sam she noticed that her friend saw it, too.

Nurse Rivers said goodbye to Sam and walked to the bed on their right and gently shook Fehr's shoulder. "Lieutenant," she called out softly. "You sleep any longer and you're going to miss lunch."

If that didn't wake him up she didn't know what would. Thankfully, her theories about men were correct and at the mention of food he left his sleeping state and opened his eyes, blinking back his tiredness. "Hmm?"

"It's after fourteen hundred hours, Lieutenant."

Matt lifted his head, looking around the room. "Really?"

Rivers nodded, why would she lie about something like that. "What would you like for lunch?"

Apparently he was still under the influence of pain killers. "Lunch?"

Jack decided to answer for the Lieutenant, "Just get him what we have."

The nurse glanced at his tray and nodded, "I'll be right back."

Fehr turned to the General, "Just what am I getting for lunch, sir?"

"Lemon chicken and macaroni and cheese."

"No desert?"

Sam reached for a familiar blue, wiggly snack. "Jell-O."

"Red?"

Jack shrugged, "Depends on Nurse Rivers."

The Lieutenant frowned, but since there was nothing he could do about it accepted whatever she would bring him. "How are you feeling, Colonel?"

Sam sighed in frustration, "I'm fine, Captain."

"Captain?" Cassie asked, speaking up for the first time. "Jack called him Lieutenant."

"I am a Lieutenant," Fehr explained, "I'm being promoted to Captain... sometime."

"Oh," she replied, looking over at Sam, realizing that the woman had changed the subject without anybody else knowing it. "That was dirty," she said with a grin.

Sam shrugged, "I do what I can."

Cassie shook her head, turning to the Lieutenant. "I'm Cassie."

"Doctor Fraiser's daughter," he replied. "I know. Your mother was a wonderful woman."

Cassie smiled at the compliment towards her mother, "Thank you."

He nodded, "So, are you going to be a doctor?"

Jack answered for her, "Yes, she is. Janet left her the big needles."

Fehr's face twisted, "Ouch." He had been on the receiving end of Janet Fraiser's needs a few times. It wasn't a fun place to be. Then again, he was beginning to think the same thing about Doctor Brightman.

Before anybody could continue the conversation Nurse Rivers came back into the room and handed Fehr his tray, and the younger man took it happily. He was hungry.

Sam and Jack began eating to, leaving Cassie to sit on the end of the bed and watch them.

"This is just so interesting..." she mused, laying her hand on the covers over Sam's foot.

"Do you want something?" Sam asked her.

"Nah," she replied. "I hate before I came."

"So," Jack asked. "How's Dominic?"

Cassie frowned, looking down at Sam's feet once more. "Fine... I guess."

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, sensing the uncertainty in the younger woman's voice.

"We got into an argument..."

"What about?" This was from Jack.

"I want kids and he doesn't," she shrugged, "and apparently he isn't open to changes."

Jack scowled, he hadn't really liked the guy in the first place. "So... what are you going to do about this?"

She shook her head, "I don't know. We had a long discussion about it the other day and he just does not want to be a father, no matter what. There's no way I'm not going to have kids, so..."

Sam reached out and took her friends hand into her own, "Are you two calling off the wedding?"

"I think so," she replied. "I can't marry somebody who doesn't want kids, Sam. If we can't even decided on whether or not to have children, then maybe we weren't as right for each other as I thought we were. I don't know... it's complicated."

"Did he say why he didn't want to have kids?" Jack questioned. For the life of him he couldn't understand not wanting to have children, but that was just because he had already had one, and was secretly hoping for at least two more. "Or did he just throw it out there and then end the conversation."

"The second sounds about right," Cassie said with a snort. "I gave him the ring back," she held up her hand to show them, "I told him that I needed to think about whether or not I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, and _only_ him. Not with him and a bunch of little ones running around."

"Well," Sam said, letting go of Cassie's hand. "I think you did the right thing. If he doesn't want kids, and you do, then he's not the one for you."

Cassie sighed, looking around the room, remembering when she was younger and would follow her mother around the Infirmary like a scared puppy. She wanted that. To have somebody depend on her so much that just being close soothed their fears, she wanted a relationship like she and her mother had. There was no way she was going to go through life without it. She felt tears brimming behind her eyes and blinked a few times, holding them back. There was no way she would cry over a guy, there was no point. It was over.

"I hope your right."

Matthew Fehr had been listening to the entire conversation- because was there really anything else for him to do?- and had pretty much decided that this guy Dominic sounded like a jerk. Not only that, but he had one hell of a girly name.

"Well," he said, adding his opinion into the conversation. "I don't know about this guy, but he'd have to be an idiot to let you go."

Cassie's cheeks flushed a bright red and she turned to Sam once again, who winked at her. Fehr was very good looking, when his face wasn't bruised (as it was at that moment), and even with the bruises he was still very appealing to the eye. Cassie, feeling a swell of courage she looked over at the Lieutenant again, "Thank you. That was a really nice thing to say."

Jack huffed silently, so that only she would hear, and Cassie held back a laugh. According to him, nobody was good enough for Cassie, and nobody ever would be.

**XXXX**

**A/N: See, I played around with the idea a bit, and maybe I will some more... I really didn't have her fiancé as a developed character anyway, so I don't care to let him go. And, whew, is this a long chapter! Anyway... let me know what you think about it.**


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

**Disclaimer: Ha! Fehr is M-I-N-E! You cannot stake claim on him. Take that. (I also lay claim to Captain Bridges and Doctor Craig, who also appear in this chapter. Oh, and you can't have them, either.)**

**XXXX**

Cassie only ended up staying a few minutes after that, excusing herself for hours of study on what she said would be the biggest bio-medical test of her life. Since neither Jack, nor Sam wanted to be a hindrance to her learning they agreed she should go, after agreeing that she would stop by the next day after the exam. Which, the request had been more for Sam than for Jack, since she would still be locked away in the Infirmary and would need the company while Jack went back to his work- which he had been neglecting to stay with Sam.

It was getting close to 1500 hours when she gave Sam a half-hug, doing her best not to jar her hurt shoulder, winked over at Jack, knowing that when they were at home he didn't mind a hug or two, but when he was at work he was the top dog, and although he would never deny her a hug, it might undermine his authority, if only unintentionally. He nodded back to her, a smile playing on his lips. Before she left, however, she glanced over her shoulder, sneaking a peak at the bedridden Lieutenant. Fehr had been watching her go, and when she turned to look he grinned at her, waving slightly. She blushed at being caught and smiled back sweetly before exiting the room, almost certain that Jack was one again wearing a scowl.

When she had gone Jack turned to Sam once more, "I knew I didn't like that boy."

"Who?" she asked, confusion passing through her eyes. "_Dominic_?"

_Dominic?_... Of course Dominic. Who else, Fehr? He scowled, sure, but a little shameless flirting wasn't enough to piss him off that much. "Yeah," he replied with a fresh scowl. "Who on earth doesn't want children? That's just selfishness."

Sam shrugged, "Maybe he doesn't think he'd be a good father."

"Or," Jack interjected, "maybe he just doesn't want to change dirty diapers or wake up to a baby screaming its lungs out every night?"

"That could be it to," she agreed. It wasn't like she had liked the guy that much either, she had only met him a total of three times. He had seemed fairly nice to her, though, but it took more than a friendly smile and small talk to get her to trust somebody. And definitely if it involved somebody close to hers feelings. "She doesn't seem too broken up about it, but who knows how long ago they ended things."

"They didn't end things," Jack reminded her. "Cassie did. Which, says a lot about the girl. She's strong, we've always known that. She'll pull through."

That was true, Cassie was probably one of the strongest people she knew. Who else could go through their entire planet being slaughtered by an alien, then being stranded alone for weeks, only to find out that she was a walking time-bomb just waiting to go off and kill those who had rescued her? Not to mention to turn into a human magnet who was radiating heat, only to come close to dying once again- and because of the same alien that had killed all her people, no less. Add to that losing the most important person in her life while she was still only a teen, and it made the girl pretty damn tough.

Sam reached for his hand, intertwining her fingers with his own. "I guess you're right," she said with a sigh. "I just hate to see her hurt, she's already been through so much. The last thing she needs is another heartbreak."

His eyes traveled from hers down to their hands, whereupon he frowned slightly. Sam watched with concern in her eyes, wondering what was bothering and distracting him so, and sat watching him while he stared down at their hands. "What's going on with you, Jack?" she asked him, unable to hide the concern in her voice.

"Hmm?" he asked, looking back up to meet her eyes. "...Oh, nothing. I'm just a bit tired, I guess..."

Sam snorted and shook her head, she didn't believe that anymore than she believed that Teal'c was a cross dresser. "You say that like it's the truth."

He smiled wearily and leaned forward, capturing her lips with his own. "Don't worry about me, Samantha. I'm fine."

A shiver passed down her spine as he said her full name- something he rarely ever did- but she couldn't hide her concern. "I wish you would tell me," she sighed.

"I will," he promised, "as soon as I figure it out."

**XXXX**

Jack left the infirmary only minutes after that, saying he had to get working on his paperwork, and thanks to the two of them (Sam and Fehr) he had a lot of accident reports to fill out. Not to mention the fact that Jacob was due to contact him in less than an hour with news of Craig's surgery. Which would only bury him under another mountain of work. And, Jack was never one to enjoy paperwork- the whole SGC knew so.

Sam figured that paperwork was only half of the reason he had gone, the other half being that she had backed him into a corner, and he hated being questioned as such. But, he also knew that Sam could get him to do just about anything, so the farther away, at that particular time, the better. Not that it bothered her so much, she already had plans to stop by his house when she got better and interrogate him on the subject there, since there wasn't much he could do to hide from her in that type of situation.

"How long have you been back, Colonel? Two... three weeks?" Fehr questioned from his bed to her right. Sam only nodded in reply. "And, you two have been together ever since?"

"I guess that depends on what your definition of together is, Lieutenant."

That was true enough, he guessed. "Dating..."

Well, then, yeah- that was true. She nodded again.

"If somebody didn't know you they'd probably think you've been married for years." he observed, sitting up in his bed.

"Yeah, well... that's what they would get for thinking, huh?" she shrugged. "Anyway... enough of that subject. I hope you don't think I missed you flirting with Cassandra."

He shook his head, "I kind of figured so from the dirty looks General O'Neill kept giving me."

Sam chuckled slightly, "Oh, don't worry about him. He's just being overprotective. It's not necessarily a bad thing though... it just means he loves her that much."

Fehr nodded, "I've read the mission reports... she's been through a lot more than I can imagine."

"Like Jack said earlier, she's a very strong person... she had to learn at an early age to be." a resigned look passed through Sam's eyes, and it was clear to Fehr that Cassandra Fraiser meant a lot to this woman.

"She's very beautiful," Fehr complimented, "and from what I could tell a genuinely caring person."

Sam smiled and nodded in reply. "She's probably one of the friendliest people I have ever met, which is amazing considering how much she's had to deal with."

"How old is she? 21?"

"20," Sam confirmed. "I suggest that if you're planning on getting to know her better, take it slowly. From what I could tell she was very much taken with this Dominic guy, enough so to accept his proposal. The last thing she needs at this moment is another relationship."

"I understand," Matthew replied, aware of the warning look the Colonel was giving him. Between her looks and Jack's looks who would ever hurt the girl, knowing the two would come after them? He certainly wouldn't- and not only for fear from his boss and his boss' second in command.

"So," Sam asked, changing the subject around, "you get out of here tomorrow?"

"Yup," Fehr said with a grin. "Finally."

"I heard that," Doctor Brightman called from her office. "You keep up with your mouth and I might rethink that!"

Fehr scowled, then looked over at Sam and whispered, "I don't think she likes me much."

Sam grinned, "I think she's just looking out for you there, Fehr. Ignoring her request probably put you on her bad side, but it was for your own good she had you resting in bed."

The scowl on his face didn't leave, though he knew she was correct, that didn't mean he liked it any. "So..." he asked, changing the subject back to what they had been talking about, "about you and the general?"

**XXXX**

Sam and Matthew ended up talking for hours after that, since there was really nothing else to do. She was starting to feel a bit depressed, really, Fehr would be leaving the next morning and unless somebody got hurt she would be alone in the infirmary for at least another day. And she would never wish hurt on anybody- well, those she liked, anyway. Goa'uld or rouge NID members (not to mention ex-vice president and all around asshole Kinsey) be damned.

By the time 1840 rolled around Jack found his way to her bedside once again, followed by Teal'c and Daniel. In his hands he had a plate which held a large piece of cake, "I figured we'd share." he told her as he sat down on the bed next to her.

No objections to that. Sam nodded and took the fork that he extended to her with a smile, glancing up at her friends. "Hey Danny, how's the ankle?"

"It's fine," he told her. "I've been staying off of it, working on some rubbings in my office."

Oh, well, it was probably almost fully healed by now then. When Daniel set down in front of rubbings, or anything that required translation, as long as he had coffee he was good for hours, and then some. As far as she knew Teal'c had been uninjured so there was no point in asking how he was. "Why don't you two grab a seat." she offered.

"Nah," Daniel replied. "Teal'c and I are headed out for the night. Apparently there's some new Sci-Fi movie playing at the theaters, we're gonna go see it. We just thought we'd drop by and see how you're doing before we left."

She nodded with a smile, "Well... have fun and don't eat too much popcorn."

Teal'c's eyebrow raised, as per norm. Too much popcorn? That was like too many doughnuts. There was no such thing.

"I'll try, Sam," Daniel promised. "Can't say the same about T here, though."

Teal'c nodded, "We will visit you tomorrow, Colonel Carter."

"Cass will be buy sometime after 1500 hours, if you want to drop by and see her," Jack informed them.

"Then we will come by then," Teal'c told them. "Goodbye Colonel Carter and O'Neill."

They waved goodbye and Sam returned to the chocolate cake, surprised to find that it was already almost gone. Well, not really surprised- she should have known, it was Jack and this was cake.

"No fair," she mumbled, sticking a fork full into her mouth with a scowl.

He grinned, "Sorry..."

Sam snorted, no he wasn't. He was never sorry when it came to cake.

"It's for the better, I guess... I should really be getting to sleep."

"It's still so early," Jack argued. "You can't be tired yet."

Sam nodded, "I'm exhausted, Jack..."

Well, he could believe that. She had been through a lot in the past few days, so maybe he could believe that she was tired. "Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked, knowing that even if she told him to leave he would still stay right by her side until he was sure she was dead asleep and wouldn't be up all night.

She knew as well, "Please?" she asked. "At least until I fall asleep."

Jack nodded and climbed into the bed with her, on the opposite side of her hurt shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist lovingly. She sighed and scooted closer to him, ignoring the stab of protest her shoulder sent her, snuggling up as best as she could. He kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes, feeling sleep creep up on her.

Whatever was bothering him could wait another day, she was tired and she was in pain and he was stubborn as a mule. Plus, with Cassie helping there was no way he could hide.

**XXXX**

**A/N: Anyway, let me know what you think about it. Keep going with the Cassie/Fehr (of course I'm gonna continue with the Jack/Sam... I am a diehard shipper!) or what? I know it took a bit longer than usual to update- sorry, I was away for the weekend! Got to ride a horse, for the first time in five years, so it was worth it.**


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

**Disclaimer: Nah, not my show and (mostly) not my characters. Some of them are, as I have said many times. Fehr, Bridges, Craig, and Sanchez- for example.**

**A/N: I don't know Froggy, you'd probably have to take that up with Sam first!**

**XXXX**

Fehr was permitted to leave the infirmary at 0900 hours the next morning, much to Sam's dismay. Now that the young Lieutenant was no longer confined to his hospital bed she was alone the in large room, with hours to go until Cassie dropped by after her bio-medical exam. On the bright side, though, was the fact that Doctor Brightman had informed herthat she would be able to leave later that afternoon, but on one condition. Either she stay with somebody who could care for her or Brightman sent a nurse home with Sam for a few days. Since the second option was not too appealing to her she had opted to stay at Jack's place. Daniel and Teal'c were on downtime until she got better, so while he was at work they could keep her company.

It was nearing 1030 hours before her first visitor of the day arrived. Jack came walking into the infirmary, looking fairly tired, and took up his regular spot by her bed. "I just got done talking with your father," he told her.

She looked towards the door, wondering if that meant Jacob was going to be the next to walk through it. "Is he on earth?"

Jack shook his head, "No- we used the radios."

"Oh," Sam was disappointed, she had been hoping to see her father. "What did you have to talk about?"

"A few different things," he replied. "Apparently, they got the snake out of Sanchez and he's going to finish his recovery on the Tok'ra home world until they send him back, since he's still a bit out of it. He hasn't been able to tell them very much about what happened, he remembers tricking you guys into the trap, but he's far too exhausted to do much of anything at this point. He'll tell us what he knows after he's had enough rest," Jack sighed. "And, we talked about Thoth..."

Pushing the lump in her throat back down Sam nodded, "He's alive, isn't he?"

"No," he assured her. "He's not. Teal'c zatted the sarcophagus before we left and nobody even knew what was going on, or that their god was dead. For awhile, at least. I'm sure they know now..."

Sam was relieved, she had thought for sure he was still alive. "I never said 'thank you', did I?" She reached out and took hold of her hand, "You saved my life, again. If you guys hadn't shown up..." she shook her head. "Thank you."

He leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead, "Sam you don't have to thank me, Sam. I love you and would do anything for you, no matter what it is."

"I felt like a failure out there," she confessed, tightening the grip on his hand. "My first mission back and look what happens, my team gets captured. Then one man dies and I barely keep the same thing happening to my best friend."

"Yeah," Jack said. "Danny told me about that. Listen, Sam, there was nothing you could do about Craig. Do you remember when we were captured by Nirrti? She put Ivanov into that damn gene mutation thing and it ended up killing him, then she took you. Even though I told them to take me over and over again, they still took you. There was _nothing_ that I could do about it then and there was _nothing_ you could do about Craig." He gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't be so hard on yourself, this had nothing to do with you as a CO. It could have happened to anyone out there, it has happened to a lot of us, just on different planets and with different alines. Ok?"

She nodded, "Ok."

"Besides," he added. "Craig is in perfect health now."

Sam frowned, "It doesn't change the fact, for a while, he wasn't."

Jack nodded, "I know. It's never easy to loose somebody that you're responsible for," a flash of pain passed through his eyes and Sam inwardly cursed herself. Maybe he was talking about Military wise, but that didn't hide the fact that he had been responsible for his son, and couldn't save him, either. She reached out for him, pulling him into a rare hug.

"I wasn't even thinking, Jack," she whispered into his neck. "I'm so sorry."

He wrapped his arms around her carefully, doing his best to stay away from her shoulder, and allowed himself to be comforted along with her. "It's not your fault, Samantha."

Another shiver passed down her spine, if he would only do that more often! Any other person and she would hate the use of her full name, but when Jack said it, it was different, it was special. She wondered briefly if he would think the same if she called him Jonathan. Not likely, though, she knew he hated his first name.

After a few moments of comfort he pulled away, kissing her gently. "Better now?"

She nodded, "Did Dad say anything about dropping by for a few days?"

"He did. Although, he won't be able to come soon, some sort of hush hush Tok'ra mission." he snorted. "Imagine that."

An amused smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she reached out to cup the side of his face in her hand. "You have no idea how much you mean to me, Jack."

"I think I do," he said with a smile. "Almost as much as you mean to me."

Sam shook her head, "There's no way."

"Are you arguing with a superior officer?" he questioned, humor dancing in his eyes.

"It appears that way," she answered. "Yes."

He kissed her again, deep and passionately. Pulling away, he sighed, "God, I love you so much."

The grin on her face couldn't have been contained even if she had wanted it to be, "You're such a sap."

"You love it, though," he replied with a grin of his own. The type of grin that she knew he reserved for her and only her, the same one he had always reserved for her, even before she descended and they became a couple. His smile was one of the many things that made her fall in love with him in the first place.

"More that you will ever know," she pulled him back into a brief kiss. "Lay with me?" she asked, running her hands through his short, graying hair.

"You're tired?" he questioned. She didn't seem like she was sleepy to him, and she had gone to bed pretty early.

"Only a little bit, I have hours until Cassie gets here, though, and there's nothing else for me to do. I'm sure you need to get back to work, but it won't take me long to fall asleep, and then you can leave." She shrugged her shoulders, "That's only if you don't mind, of course."

A chuckle of amusement escaped his throat and sent chills down her spine. God, she loved it when he laughed. "Why would I mind?"

Sam shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe you had too much work to do..."

"Too much work that I can't spend some time with you?" He gave her a shocked look, "Never. Besides, I can do anything that I want to, remember? I am the General."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed hold of his shirt, pulling him closer to the bed. Taking the hint, he climbed in next to her, making sure not to hurt her shoulder, and snaked his arm around her waist. They were lying face to face and for a few minutes they stayed there looking at each other, before her eyes began to get heavy and started to close. He brushed a lock of hair away from her face and sighed in content. Oh yeah, this was where he belonged.

**XXXX**

Cassie walked into the infirmary around 1515 that afternoon, just after Daniel and Teal'c had arrived. The two men smiled when they saw the younger woman, and greeted her accordingly.

"Hello, Cassandra Fraiser," Teal'c said with a bow.

"Hey, T," Cassie replied. "Danny."

Daniel nodded, "Hey, how's school?"

"Or," Sam asked, "more importantly, how was the exam?"

The twenty one year old sighed, "Not too bad, I was a bit stressed. I'm sure I passed it with an A, at least a high B."

"How long can you stay until?" Sam questioned, scooting up in her bed so that Cassie could sit on the foot of it. When she did so Cassie took the space, laying her forearms on Sam's legs.

"I don't have work tonight, class doesn't start until 9 in the morning, and my roommate is having some kind of party tonight with her idiot friends, so the last thing I want to do is be there. I figured that I'd just stay here with you tonight, if you don't mind, which I know you'd enjoy the company."

"Well," Sam explained, "I get to leave today, and I have to stay at Jack's unless I want to have a twenty four hours nurse. Do you care to stay at his place? We'll probably have to order out food, because there's no telling what he has in his fridge."

Cassie grinned, "I'm sure we can manage. What time do you get to leave?"

"1600 hours," she said with a smug grin. "I should be getting out of here soon to get changed and ready to leave. Nurse Richards said she would be around at like thirty til to help me. Have you eaten anything in the last couple of hours?" she asked.

"Not since this morning, I've been busy with classes all day." She shrugged, "I'm not really hungry, though. Why?"

"Well, Daniel and Teal'c were talking about heading to the commissary in a few minutes, so I figured that while I was getting ready you could hang out with them."

She nodded, "I can always get something to drink, I guess."

A few minutes later a dark haired woman wearing bright, blue scrubs walked into the room, a smile on her face. "Are you ready to get out of here?" she questioned, as she helped Sam out of the bed, even though she didn't need it that much.

"Oh, yeah," Sam replied with a sigh. "Not that I don't enjoy the company."

"Sure," Richards said with a laugh. "Come on, let's go get you out of these clothes and into something a bit more... warm."

Nurse Richards and Sam left the infirmary, headed for the locker room, and Cassie, Teal'c, and Daniel started off towards the commissary. As they waited for the elevator they were joined back Jack, "Hey," he greeted. "Is Sam getting ready to leave?"

"Indeed," Teal'c replied.

"You want to come with us to get something to eat?" Cassie asked, knowing full well that whenever food was involved Jack was game.

"Why not?" he questioned. "How was your exam?"

The elevator doors opened and the four cluttered inside. A few floors later the doors opened again and they stepped out, headed for the commissary. As soon as they stepped inside a scowl formed on Jack's face, and of course Cassie noticed it, because she had seen the reason for the scowl just as he had. However, Cassie wasn't upset by it. Not at all.

"Calm down, Jack," she whispered. "He's cute, yeah... but I don't want a boyfriend."

The scowl lightened a bit, but he still looked suspicious. They got their food, well, at least Daniel and Teal'c did. Jack got a piece of cake and Cassie simply got a soda. They sat at a table, one that Jack picked, and Cassie couldn't help but grin when she noticed how far away it was from

the very thing that had caused him to scowl. She sat across from Jack, next to Daniel, in a spot that would allow her to look over Teal'c's shoulder at the Lieutenant, if she so chose. Not like she would, though...

"So, hey," Cassie said, as soon as everybody was seated. "I guess I'm staying with you tonight."

"Really?" he asked, "Why?"

"Well, so poor Sam doesn't have to suffer by being stuck all alone with you." She grinned, "Truthfully, my roommate is having a party and I really don't fee like being there when she does. I need my sleep, although she doesn't seem to. Her friends are all jerks, anyway."

The man nodded, "Well, I've got a guest bed ready and waiting... although, I haven't been shopping in a while."

Cassie laughed, shaking her head, "Sam said the same thing." From the corner of her eye she could see that he was looking at her, and for some reason her stomach flipped and she could feel butterflies flapping their wings. Why was she behaving like she had a school girl crush? She wasn't sixteen anymore, he was only a cute guy. Yeah, right, she told herself, they're never _only_ cute. "We're just going to order out."

Jack hadn't noticed her internal musings, and he nodded at her statement. "That sounds good to me. Are you going to take Sam home at 1600?"

"You have to stay at work, right?" she asked. "So, yeah, I figured I would."

"Good," he nodded, looking over at Daniel and Teal'c. "And you two will be over there tomorrow when Cassie leaves?"

They both gave him a promising nod, "Don't worry, Jack, we'll be there."

Daniel started to talk about some kind of rubbings he had been working on and how amazing they were, which was something Cassie could care less about, so her eyes wandered past the Jaffa's shoulder, towards the table where Lieutenant Fehr was sitting with a man who looked like he was in his late twenties. They were laughing about something, empty plates sitting on the table in front of them. From the size of them she figured they were cake plates, much like the one that Jack was still eating off of.

Fehr looked over at her and her heart stopped momentarily. Although everything in her was telling her to look away she kept eye contact and even managed to smile at him. He returned the favor and nodded a hello to her, sending the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy. After a few seconds she turned away, back to Daniel's story, and pretended to pay close attention. That's what Teal'c was doing, anyway, and Jack, well, his attention was focused completely on the cake in front of him. Not that Daniel expected anything less, he pretty much knew that he was talking to himself.

Some things _never_ changed.

Cassie glanced towards Fehr again (had he even told her his first name yet? What was it... Mark? Or Matt?) and grinned when she caught him looking at her. So maybe some things never changed, that wasn't such a bad thing, depending on what those things were. She was beginning to find out that eventually, some things _do_ change, and even though change is a scary and overwhelming thing, the results were definitely worth it. Or, at least, she hoped so.

**XXXX**

**  
A/N: So anyway, let me know what you think. More to come!**


	30. Chapter Thirty

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Thirty**

**Disclaimer: Well, the show still does not belong to me, Sam and Jack and Daniel and Cassie and Teal'c don't belong to me, Fehr and Bridges and Sanchez and Craig do... however.**

**XXXX**

A few minutes after 1600 hours Nurse Richards and Sam came walking into the infirmary, Sam dressed in civilian clothes, her arm still in it's sling. They made their way over to the table that the four were sitting at and Sam smiled at Cassie, who had only recently torn her gaze away from the table across the room to look at the colonel. "You almost ready to go, Cass?" she questioned, throwing her a knowing look. "Or, would you rather stay for a few more minutes and enjoy the view?"

Score one for Carter.

Jack scowled and Cassie's face turned a deep shade of crimson, she shook her head, her eyes growing big. "I'm good to go," she said, throwing the older woman the dirtiest of looks. "Are you up to traveling?" she questioned in retaliation. "You know, being crippled and all." she cocked her head to one side and smiled at the scowl that appeared on the woman's face.

Score one for Fraiser.

"I think I'll be fine," she assured her. Cassie shrugged, got up from her seat, and surreptitiously glanced over her shoulder. She grinned when she caught the lieutenant looking in her direction, but did nothing to acknowledge that she, herself, had been looking. After saying goodbye to the three men at the table she looked over at Sam.

"We're gonna stop at the store first," she explained. "I'll make dinner."

Sam nodded, that was fine with her. She said goodbye to the three of them, then questioned what time Jack would be leaving the base. As he prattled on about what he had to do for the rest of the day Cassie tuned the group out, trying to listen to the conversation between the two men at the other end of the room.

"You almost ready to leave, Bridges?" Fehr asked, the clink of silverware hitting a plate following.

"Yeah, Fehr, I'm ready to take you and your bum leg to your house... the sooner I can get back to base the sooner I can get my field report done with and go home." the man sighed and pushed his chair back. "Who's that girl you keep looking at?"

He said it loud enough so that even if Cassie hadn't been straining to hear, she would have anyway.

"Doctor Fraiser's daughter, Cassandra." he replied, not letting on to his embarrassment at being caught by his friend.

"Really? I remember when they first brought her back from that planet... Hanka."

Cassie grimaced but continued to listen. "Yeah, well..." Fehr was saying, "you would, old man."

"Hey," Bridges called in his defense. "I had just been assigned here, then. Thank you very much."

"Cassie?" Sam asked, looking at the twenty one year old. "I'm ready to go..."

"Oh," she hid the blush that was dying to get out. "Alright," picking her purse up she smiled at Jack. "I'll see you later."

The man nodded, "At around 2000 hours."

Cassie wasn't stupid, she had been paying attention to his conversation with Sam, as well. "1900," she told him with a smirk. He stuck his tongue out at her, but smiled nonetheless. Yep, she had caught him trying to trick her. Her mother had taught her well.

Sam and Cassie left the commissary and headed for the elevators around the same time Fehr and Bridges did, so the two men managed to catch the elevator with them, though instead of going up like Sam and Cassie were they were headed down four floors. The elevator was relatively quiet, at first, before Sam turned to Cassie with a grin on her face.

"So," she questioned, "have you made up your mind about Dominic?"

From the corner of her eye Cassie could see Fehr's attention perk, but she paid him no mind and stared ahead as the numbers on the elevator went down, "We're over." she stated simply.

"Good," Sam replied. "I never liked him much anyway... he seemed to quiet at the party."

Well of course he had been quiet. He hadn't known a single soul there. Add on to that the evil looks from not only Jack, but Jacob, Daniel, Teal'c and Hammond, then having the President show up... he was thrown. Good thing he had left early, or the poor guy would have passed out upon seeing Thor, or he could have reacted like Larry, the Secret Service Agent had, sans the weapon. Cassie shrugged, "There was a lot going on that night... It doesn't matter, though. I gave the ring back and that's that." She sent Sam another dirty look, "You know how that works."

True, Sam knew how it worked well. She had done so twice. But really only with Jonas- since her ascension and declared death had been what broke her and Pete up. Sam shrugged just as the elevators opened and Bridges was the only to exit, "Could you hold the elevator?" he asked Cassie and Sam, "I just need to grab something from my office."

Sam was the one to answer, "Of course."

Bridges was a good man, as far as she was concerned. At first, when they had been stuck on 785 he had done his best at reassuring her and the others that O'Neill and the reinforcements would make it, and she was fairly certain that he had been doing so for himself as well. Sure, he might have been a little less than hopeful as time passed, but they all had been, and she couldn't blame him. And Fehr, well, as far as she was concerned, Fehr had the biggest part in their rescue, so he immediately had beaucoup brownie points.

The three in the elevator were silent for the entire time that Bridges was gone, when he returned Sam pressed the button for sub-level 12, and they rode in relative silence, the only noises coming from Bridges, who was humming something under his breath. Fehr seemed annoyed by it, and nudged his friend to quiet him. When they reached sub-level 19 the man was finally quiet and a look of triumph manifested on Fehr's face.

It was short lived, however, because when they got to sub-level 16 Bridges gave up humming for conversing. "So... you're Doctor Fraiser's daughter?" he asked, looking at Cassie.

Cassie smiled lightly, "Yeah."

"You're mother was a very... commanding woman." Bridges said with a grin. "She was a wonderful person, we all miss her very much."

"Thank you," Cassie said. "That means a lot."

They reached their destination and exited the elevator, only to get into another. Obviously, Bridge's round of twenty questions wasn't over yet.

"You broke up with your boyfriend?" he questioned, speaking of the conversation that Sam had started up a few minutes prior.

"Fiancé," Cassie corrected. "And yes, I broke up with him."

"Oh, you know Fehr here–"

"Colonel Carter," Matthew said, cutting his friends sentence short. Much to Bridges and Cassie disappointment. "How is your arm doing?"

Sam smiled, and went along with his change of topic. "It's a lot better, Lieutenant. Which is why I'm allowed to go home. What about you? How's the leg?"

He looked down at it, and shrugged. "It's still a bit sore, and Doctor Brightman is concerned about infection, since I went so long without treatment... But, I'm fine." Looking up he sighed, they still had six floors to go. "Have you heard anything about Major Sanchez?"

"Yeah," Sam told him. "They got the Goa'uld out and he's doing fine. The Tok'ra are going to keep him with them for a couple of days, to make sure that he's completely out of the woods, and then they'll be returning him home." They reached the stopping point and the elevator doors opened, and the four of them exited the elevator. "Take care, Lieutenant."

"You too, ma'am."

She nodded and looked at Cassie, "To Oz."

**XXXX**

Sam was curled up on the couch, wrapped in an afghan, watching the TV when he walked through the front door just after 1930 hours. She smiled up at him when he came in, and made room for him next to her on the couch. "How did everything go?"

Jack shrugged, "The usual..." He looked around the room, "Where's Cassie?"

"Kitchen," Sam replied. "Finishing up her paper for psychology."

"Did you two make dinner?" he questioned. It certainly smelled like somebody had cooked.

"Cass did," Sam said with a nod. "We went ahead and ate without you, but there's leftovers on the counter."

He nodded, but didn't get up from the couch. Instead he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, careful not to hurt her wounded one, and she leaned into his embrace. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Doctor Brightman gave me some pain medication and it's working pretty well. I'm still a bit sleepy, but I'll be alright." With a sigh she sat back up to look at him, "Jack... where am I going to be sleeping tonight?"

"In the guest bed... Oh."

"Cassie's going to be sleeping in the guestroom."

"I'll just sleep on the couch," he said with a shrug. "You can have my room."

"I am not going to make you sleep on the couch, Jack. This is your house and you didn't have to take care of me, so you shouldn't have to be uncomfortable. I can sleep on the couch."

"No, you're arm is still far too wounded to be sleeping on the couch. I don't mind, I swear."

"Jack..." she said in a warning tone. "You are not sleeping on the couch."

"Fine," he said, giving up to that part of the conversation. "But, neither are you."

"Cassie isn't sleeping on th–"

"I didn't mean that Cassie would," he told her. "My bed is big enough for us both."

"I don't know, Jack..." she said. "I mean, is it really smart for us two to shar–"

"I'm not going to try anything, Sam," he assured her. "So, unless you do we've got no problem."

She sighed, "Alright- but I get the right side."

**XXXX**

Cassie went to bed at a few minutes past 2300, claiming that she had to be up early for her psych class the next morning, even earlier since she would have to drive all the way to school (which was only about ten minutes away). Jack and Sam stayed up for a little bit, long enough to watch the beginning of Jay Leno, before going to bed themselves. He had to wake up early for work the next morning and she was just tired.

Since she had already been in her pajamas when he arrived earlier that night she climbed right into bed, her eyes closing the instant her head touched the pillow, though she was not yet asleep. He changed into a pair of sweats quickly and slid under the covers next to her, draping his arm around her waist protectively. She relaxed into his embrace and snuggled closer, sighing sleepily.

It only took a few minutes until they were both asleep, content in lying in each others arms.

**XXXX**

When Sam woke the next morning she felt cold and alone, which was probably because Jack was no longer in the bed, and somehow she had kicked the covers of off her during her sleep. She yawned, stretching her good arm out, and then ran her hand through her messy hair.

Voices from down the hallway caught her attention, which confused her when she looked at her watch. It was already 1100 hours, both Jack and Cassie had been gone for many hours. Who could be at his house? She made her way out of the bedroom and into the living room... where she met up with Daniel and Teal'c, who were sitting at the couch watching TV.

"Hey guys," she greeted sleepily. "How long have you been here?"

"Not very long," Daniel told her. "You slept late?"

Sam nodded, "I was tired. What's on the agenda for today?"

"Well, first you go and shower, then we go out."

"Out?" she questioned. "Where?"

"Daniel Jackson wishes to 'eat out' for lunch, Colonel Carter." Teal'c explained.

"Oh." Sounded good to her. "Alright, I'll be out in half an hour."

The two nodded and she turned around and headed back for the main bedroom, which had a bathroom branching off of it. Grabbing her bag from the floor by the bed she pulled out an outfit for the day and the items that Nurse Richards had given her to make showering easier with her hurt shoulder.

Twenty minutes later she walked back into the living room, pulling on a sweater. "So... where to?"


	31. Chapter Thirty One

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Thirty One**

**Disclaimer: Nah, not mine :(**

**XXXX**

They ended up going to a small, intimate dinner called Breck's Dinner that was just done the road from Jack's place. Located in the middle of a shopping center, it didn't look much like a mom and pop place, but that's exactly what it was. Family owned and run, those who came in were mostly regulars, and if they weren't they became so. The food was good and the service was great and the prices weren't that bad for the quality. Sam and Jack had gone together once or twice during the time they had off after she descended, but not that many that the owners would recognize her. Especially when her arm was still in a sling and what you could see of her arms was covered in bruises and abrasions. Her face had been left untouched, which Sam guessed was because Thoth was considering her as a queen. The thought made her grimace and Daniel picked up on it.

"You ok?" he questioned, throwing her a concerned look. Sam had behaving strangely ever since they got back from 785, but of course, she had ever rhyme and reason to do so. Her teams had been captured by somebody she knew and worked with, then they had been shut up in a tiny cell with little room to do anything. One of those under her command was taken away and killed (no matter that the man was revived and now up and breathing) then he, himself, was nearly taken, undoubtably to have the same thing occur. If it hadn't been for Sam demanding to be taken instead there was a good chance he'd have another death to add to the pile of already way-to-many.

Sam did her best to smile sweetly and nodded, chiding herself for letting him see her struggle. No, she wasn't ok. She felt useless, like her time as an ascended being had screwed with her ability to command. Perhaps Daniel was the one person that she shouldn't be shutting out, he was the only one who knew the situation she was facing, as it were, but she just couldn't bring herself to talk about it. Not yet. First, she had to sort through her feelings, see where she stood. After that, then she could talk. "I'll be ok, Daniel. I'm just a bit sleepy, is all."

He didn't take her words at face-value, he was smarter than that. She didn't want to talk, so he wouldn't push her. In time his friend would come to him and tell him what was bothering her. Daniel had been ascended before, and he was fairly certain that ascension and descension was one of the biggest things bothering her. When it came to the commanding situation, she would most likely go to Jack, and probably already had, he mused. He understood those things. Daniel understood ascension. Sooner or later Sam would come to him.

"What is it you wish to do today, Colonel Carter?" Teal'c questioned, making his presence known. Not like the two had forgotten he was there, with the man's presence that would be highly unlikely. He simply sensed the tension and the hidden emotions and decided a change of subject would be best.

"I was thinking we could just go back home and watch some movies, order pizza for dinner, that kind of stuff. There are still a lot of movies that I haven't seen from when I was... out of the country. I'd like to catch up on them..." she shrugged. "That is, if you two don't mind. I didn't know if you had anything else planned."

"Nah," Daniel assured her. "But, tomorrow Cassie only has one morning class so we're going to go to the mall. Do you think you'll be up to coming with?"

"I'll think about it," she promised. "Probably."

Daniel smiled lightly, good. He not only wanted her to get out again, back into the beginning of the year of 2006, but he and Cassie had planned on stopping by a jewelry store and subtly hint at the prospect of engagement with Jack, and maybe even gauge her reaction towards different rings. Neither were sure if Jack knew what kind of jewelry she liked, or if they had even discussed it before, so they figured he'd need all the help that he could get. Teal'c was going to visit his son and daughter-in-law for a couple of days while they had downtime, and work with Bra'tac and the Jaffa rebellion, which was once again growing strong.

"So, Colonel Carter," Teal'c questioned. "What movies do you wish to see?"

**XXXX**

Sam sighed and leaned heavily against the back of Jack's couch, her eyes drifting closed instinctively. They had just finished watching their second movie, Gothika, and she was beginning to get tired. She opened them just as quickly as they had closed, however, the last thing she needed was to give Daniel another reason to be concerned about her. He would just tell Jack, and then she would have not only Daniel cornering her for questions, but Jack as well. Then again, Jack and Sam had already discussed what was bothering her- for the most part. And it had made her feel a lot better, but there was still a lot of unanswered questions she had.

"What's next?" Daniel asked, glancing at the mile high stack of Blockbuster Videos.

She glanced over at the stack and picked out a DVD, glancing at the title and the description on the back. 'Little Black Book'. Well, they hadn't watched a click flick yet, so... why not? "How about this one?" she questioned, passing the movie to her friend. Daniel took one look at the movie and frowned, but nodded anyway. If that was what she wanted to watch... she was the one confined to _their_ company.

The movie was more than halfway through when Jack walked into the house. It was almost 1900 hours and they had just called and ordered pizza. He made Daniel scoot over on the couch and sat next to her, pulling her close to him carefully. She smiled at him and rested her head on his chest, thankful for the chance to rest without it being completely obvious. They turned back to watch as Stacy's plan backfired in her face on life-television and Sam found herself actually liking the chick flick. It wasn't really like the normal chick-flick, in this one the girl doesn't end up getting the guy, or as far as she could tell she didn't. It was good.

The movie was over by the time that the pizza got there and while Sam and Daniel were paying for it Jack had saw fit to pick out a movie of his own and put it on. Sam groaned inwardly when she saw the DVD box lying on the coffee table, Saving Private Ryan was a good movie and all, but it was_ long_. Nonetheless, she grabbed herself a slice of pizza and sat down on the couch next to her boyfriend. A smile spread across her face when she thought about the title, _boyfriend_. It sounded a bit juvenile now that she was getting into her late thirties, but she didn't care. She and Jack were dating. He was her boyfriend and she was his girlfriend and the only thing that would be better is if they were engaged.

Whoa. Back up there. _Engaged_? Did she really just think that? They had only been dating a couple of weeks, they hadn't even been intimate yet. Which, shouldn't be such a big deal, anyway. A lot of people were engaged without having been intimate. But then again, they tended to date for more than three weeks, as well. Did she really want to be engaged to Jack? So soon, anyway.

As the movie came on she glanced over at him, briefly. God, he was so perfect for her. Maybe being engaged again wouldn't be such a bad thing. This time he was the one, she knew it; deep down in the pit of her stomach she _knew _it. After only three weeks of dating, was engagement really something she thought was appropriate?

Did he even think the same way? That was the biggest factor in all of this anyway. She was traditional in a few ways, so asking him to marry her was pretty much out of the question, unless he took way too long to come to his senses. If Jack wasn't ready to be engaged, then well, she'd have to wait. But, something told her that he wouldn't be so turned off to the idea. Sam smiled to herself, setting aside her musings, and slid and arm along his leg. He looked over at her and grinned, knowing she wanted attention. He leaned over and kissed her briefly, running a hand through her short hair.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her again.

It was her turn to grin and she laid her head on his chest once more, "I love you, too."

That was all she needed to know. They were in love and marriage to Jack O'Neill was definitely something that she wanted. Who knew, maybe she could hint at it to him somehow. He was smarter than he let on, he should pick up on it. Even more so if he had the same thoughts as she did... she hoped.

**XXXX**

Jack kissed Sam briefly before turning back to his movie with a sigh of content. There was nothing more he could ask for, well, at that moment, at least. It was just like old times, before Pete, before their promotions, before Sam's ascension, when they were SG-1, the earths first line of defense. Of course, SG-1 was still the first line of defense, except now it was only a three man team, excluding him. He loved his job and everything, he could do a lot sitting behind his General's desk than he could out there off-world, but he missed it. A lot. He missed the excitement and the jokes the team shared, he missed ordering Sam or Daniel to stop working on some alien artifact and eat, and the looks that Teal'c got when they met up with a new race of people. Not fear exactly, for the man had a specific aura about him, but intimidation at his size maybe.

He pulled Sam closer and grinned when she wrapped her own arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest, sighing sleepily. Playing with her hair gently he continued to watch the movie, and think. This setting was like old times, but there was one thing that he was glad changed. His and Sam's relationship. That felt even more natural than being with the three of them watching movies. The two of them seemed to fit together perfectly and somehow he wasn't surprised at that fact.

His thoughts traveled to his conversation with Daniel the day prior. Was engagement really something they were ready for? If he asked her, would she say yes?

Jack looked over at Sam and couldn't help but grin, she had drifted to sleep and was cuddled up against him, a sleepy expression on her face. He ran his hands through her short hair affectionately, and kissed her briefly on the forehead, before turning back to the movie and his thoughts. She was the perfect woman, as far as he concerned. Brilliant, exceedingly so, beautiful, calm and collective (most of the time), but even though she was all those things she was still human and had her insecurities, and it was nice to know that when she had a problem she came to him with it. Even though he knew some things she would go to Daniel or Cassie, even Teal'c, about. Even with her minor flaws she was still the most amazing woman he had even come in contact with, and he didn't think that was ever going to change. In fact, he knew so.

And for some reason, she loved him. Even though he had way too many flaws and was less than perfect, she chose to be with him. It was a mystery to him, but he wasn't going to complain about it. He didn't think she should settle for someone like him, but it was what she obviously wanted, and that was all he cared about. Her happiness.

But, would engagement make her happy?

Turning his attention back to the movie with a small sigh he pushed the musings out of his mind. He would think about it later, when he had more of an opportunity to run through everything without distractions. The sound of gunfire and frantic shouts coming from the television set were distraction enough, and it was hard to think through all the noise. Not to mention the fact that she was practically sprawled out over him and he was doing his best not to notice the way she fit perfectly in his arms.

By the time the movie was over Daniel was snoring lightly and Teal'c was eating his seventh piece of pizza. Sam was still asleep, lying half on him, half on the couch, and Danny boy was on the love-seat, his legs hanging over the edge. Jack motioned for Teal'c to wake the archeologist while he, himself, woke up Sam.

"Sam," he whispered, pushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "Wake up, Samantha..."

Her eyes opened at the use of her full name and she smiled sleepily, "Hi..."

"Come on, let's get you into bed," he told her as he scooted off of the couch, pulling her with him gently. She went along, leaning in his arms for support, still half-asleep. Jack was about to turn off into the guest room when she spoke up, however.

"Can I sleep with you again?" she questioned, looking up at him with a yawn.

He smiled, "Of course." They changed course and he continued down the hallway, pausing to open the door to his bedroom. After he helped her into bed, pulling the covers over her, he told her he would be back soon and headed back into the living room where Teal'c was gathering his and Daniel's things while the man sat on the sofa, looking around tiredly. Obviously, Teal'c would be driving Daniel home that night, and would probably stay with the man rather than going all the ay back to the base.

"I will see you in the morning, O'Neill." the man confirmed, helping Daniel off of the couch. "Good night."

Jack nodded at the man, "Night, T."

Teal'c bowed gracefully and the Daniel and Teal'c left the house. Jack locked the door behind them and headed back down the hall. When he entered his room Sam was lying in bed, but her eyes were opened slightly. She patted the area next to her and he climbed into bed, allowing her to scoot closer and into his arms. She murmured a goodnight and hid her face in his shirt. Moments later her breathing evened out, telling him that she was asleep.

As she laid there in his arms everything seemed suddenly clear to him. He wanted this, everyday. He wanted to be able to come home and spend all day with her, then have her fall asleep in his arms at the end of the night. _This_ was right.

Maybe Daniel was right, the two were in love a long time before she ascended, so should he really just acknowledge since she returned? And, did it matter how long they had been together, anyway? If he asked, would she really say yes?


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Thirty Two**

**Disclaimer: Nah, show's not my idea. Characters aren't mine, either... although I think Fehr is in this chapter. He's mine. So is Bridges... and his wife, who is briefly mentioned. I make no profit off of this story, unless you want to count all the nice reviews I get...  
**

**XXXX**

Sam woke to the ringing of a phone the next morning. From the amount of light coming in through the windows she could tell that she had slept late, but she didn't mind, that's what downtime was for, anyway. Well... when you're ordered off the base and can't work, that is. She reached over the side of the bed, fumbling for the phone. Jack was so disorganized the thing could be anywhere, except it's cradle. As it rang for the fourth time she picked it up off of the floor and turned it on, "Hello?" No use greeting whoever it was at the other end with _her_ name, this wasn't her house. Carter would mean nothing to anybody calling for Jack.

"Hey, Sam." It was Daniel. "I'm picking Cassie up in half an hour, so we should be by your place in about one hour... you think you'll be ready?"

Oh, sure. Years of having only an hour to get her post-mission check up and a shower had perfected her technique of quick showering. She could be in and out of the bathroom, ready to go, in ten minutes tops, having done what would take most women 20 minutes, without dressing. "Yeah... are we going out for breakfast?"

"Breakfast?" he asked, a slight chuckle rising in his voice. "Sam, it's already 1146."

Well... when she thought she had slept in a bit she didn't think it was _that_ late. "Oh... lunch then?"

"Yeah, sure..." he promised, "I'll see you then."

"Alright, Daniel." she replied. "See you in one hour."

He hung up the phone and she slid out of the bed, no use having to rush to get ready, even though she could. Nice, long, hot showers were a rarity for her, so she was going to soak up this opportunity for one. Her stitches were waterproof and the doctor had told her she could take her bandage off to shower, as long as she was careful not to pull the stitches. Half an hour later, she emerged from the steaming bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body and another towel-drying her short hair.

She ran into the living room for a brief moment, hoping the curtains were drawn, and grabbed her duffle bag. Thankfully, the room was shut off to the public so she didn't have to worry, and she went back into his bedroom to change. A pair of jeans and a baggy shirt later she was back in the living room, flipping through the channels on the TV, trying to figure out what the weather was going to be like. No rain, the forecast promised, and it looked like a clear, sunny day.

When she was satisfied that the weather man wasn't telling a stretched out version of the truth she headed back into the bathroom and applied what little bit of make-up she wore. That took all of five minutes, so by the time she was back into the living room she still had approximately twenty minutes until Daniel and Cassie arrived. His house was a mess, of course, and since she had nothing else to do she decided that she would clean up a bit. Cooking was a bit no, but she could clean... her brother had made sure of that when they were younger.

By the time the doorbell rang, nearly fifteen minutes later, she had cleaned the living room, kitchen, and started on the dishes. There wasn't much, since they had eaten pizza the night before, but there were plenty of glasses that needed washing. She dropped the cleaning, thankfully, and they headed off to the mall straight away, with the promise of stopping by the Chick-fil-A in the food court. It was a short drive, less than ten minutes, and since she was unable to drive with her shoulder (doctors orders, as well as Jack's) they took Daniel's CR-V. Cassie offered to take the back seat, since she was "crippled", and although Sam knew the girl was joking with the nickname it still brought a scowl to her face. Yeah, yeah, make fun of the one who got shot, close range, in the shoulder, with her _own _gun! How's that for rubbing salt in a wound?

They got their food first thing, and Sam opted for just a box of chicken nuggets and fries, yes... because of her arm. There was no way she was going to try to eat anything more complicated and give the other two another chance to make fun of her, no matter how good-hearted they were being. She finished with her meal, easily, and then the three of them took off around the mall. Sam got the feeling that Cassie really didn't need anything., only wanted to look and see if she _wanted_ anything. Not that there was something wrong in doing so, she, herself, was an expert at window shopping.

When they passed by a store called Charlotte Rousse, Cassie had to go in. The line where window shopping and actual buying had been crossed and the girl ended up getting a pair of jeans, two shirts, and a pair of high-healed shoes that Sam wouldn't be caught dead in. Not because they were ugly, but... well, she had never really been fond of the pointy-toed heals, and these were no exception. She had to admit that the silky blouse that Cassie had gotten to match the jeans was really cute, and the jeans weren't that bad. At least they didn't have any holes in them, like most of the girls jeans did.

"It's the fashion right now, Sam," Cassie had explained. "And trust me, there are girls walking around with holes a lot worse than mine... these are just a bit worn, and you can't see anything in the way of skin. There is a girl in my Psych class who has a big hole right under her back pockets. That's trashy, if you ask me. We don't want to see your underwear, ya know?"

The girl had a point. Although there were two holes in her jeans they were small and the only one you could see the slightest bit of skin through was on the side of her knee. "There American Eagle," Cassie had told her, as if Sam had any idea of what she was talking about. Is American Eagle a store? Obviously, she guessed. Maybe she should start reading magazines more often.

"Where to now?" Daniel questioned, glancing at the younger of the two women.

"I think Hollister is down this way," she said, pointing to their left. "I wanted to see if they still had this purse I wanted..."

They headed off in the direction of the store, which was just a few stores down, and then Cassie went in and started to search for her purse. She didn't find it, but she did find two skirts and another pair of jeans. Sam wondered briefly where she was getting all her money, but then remembered that Cassie was 21 and did have a job. Besides, she could have been doing a lot more damage than she had. After Daniel and Sam managed to tear the girl away from the store Cassie's eyes landed across the hall, at a jewelry store, Kay's. Sam's followed, landing on what she assumed the girls was looking at.

"Well... it's just a cripple party at the mall today, isn't it?" she questioned, as she headed for the store. Cassie followed, mostly because Daniel began to push her, and soon enough Sam was a good distance ahead of them.

"We can go to another store," the young woman hissed at him.

"Why?" Daniel asked. "She won't suspect anything now- since she was the one to go there in the first place. No use tipping her off."

Cassie glared at him, but allowed herself to be lead across the hall nonetheless. Sam had already met up with the two men she had recognized and begun talking. When Cassie and Daniel made it to where she was standing, the one she had been paying the most attention to smiled at her.

"Hello, Cassandra."

Oh, God. Did he have to say her name like that? "Matthew."

"What's a _jarhead_ doing shopping for jewelry anyway?" Daniel asked, not at all worried about the stereotype used for the marine. From what he could tell, all the marines at the SGC were damn proud of the name and Fehr was no exception.

"I'm not the one shopping, it's this flyboy over here, who doesn't know how to buy his wife's anniversary gift until the day before their anniversary." he motioned over at his friend, who Daniel recognized as Captain Bridges.

The man smiled sheepishly and turned back to the woman he was discussing a ring with, "I was out of town for the last couple of days... it was unexpected. I would have gotten it sooner."

She nodded at him, "Now, what size did you say your wife wore?"

"A seven," he informed her and she searched for the ring he wanted in the size he needed. Finally she found one.

"Now it comes with a year warranty, but you can get an extended warranty if you'd like. That covers sizing, cleaning, or any repairs that you may need." the woman handed him the ring so he could study it further. "The price is 420, but with the sale it's only 135, so I suggest that if you think she'll like it, you buy it. There's not many others at such a good price."

"Well... she's put up with me for five years, so I'd say she deserves the most expensive thing here." The woman's eyebrows raised, and he continued. "But, we flyboys don't get that hefty of a paycheck."

"This'll be it, then?" she questioned, as he handed her back the ring.

"Yes, Ma'am. That'll be the one."

During the conversation Daniel had begun to look around at the rings, and Sam, having nothing else to do and wanting to leave Cassie and Fehr alone to talk, did the same. Little did she knew, that Daniel had only started looking around to prompt her to do so, as well. It wasn't what they had originally planned, but it was probably working better than any scenario he and Cassie had come up with would have, much to Cassie's unrest. While the two older people looked around she was left to talk with the Lieutenant, and she had no clue what to say.

"How's the leg?" she asked, hoping not to sound to stupid.

"It's doing better... how's school?"

Well, at least he wasn't doing better at the conversing than she was. "It's good... This is my last year before med-school, so..."

"Are you going to be in the Air Force, like your mother?" he questioned.

She smiled lightly, "I already am... they're paying for my schooling. General Hammond had a lot to do with it."

"Oh," he hadn't known. "How is he doing? Do you guys keep in touch?"

"He calls every now and then, I babysat his granddaughters for awhile before they moved to DC. He's doing fine, misses work at the SGC, but he likes his new job and his daughter moved out there with them. She's a widow and needs all the help with the girls as she can get." Cassie's eyes flickered over to where Daniel and Sam were talking, as they looked down at the display of engagement rings. A sigh escaped her lips as she watched them, hopefully Daniel was having better luck than she is.

"Are the General and Colonel Carter...?"

Cassie turned back to Matt and smiled, "Not yet... Daniel, Teal'c, and I are still trying to plant the seed. They're both really stubborn."

"So, by looking at engagement rings..."

She nodded, "Daniel has already talked to Jack about asking her to marry him, now all I have to do is talk to Sam about whether she would accept or not. And I have a feeling she would."

"They're both really great people," he mused. "They deserve it after all they've been through."

That caused the girl to smile, "This coming from the man that just saved a great deal of people's lives? You're a good person, too, Matthew. Probably one of the best."

Fehr smiled sheepishly, causing Cassie to blush. She hadn't really meant to say something like that. "Ah... what I meant..." she gave up and grinned. "Well, it's true, you know? Everybody who works at the SGC is a hero in one way or another, you should be proud of it."

The lieutenant nodded, and turned back to look at his friend who was paying for the ring. "I wonder if I'll ever have that..."

"What?" Cassie questioned. "The ring? I should hope not?"

He turned back to her, ready to explain what he had meant, then noticed the smile on her face. "You're way too much like General O'Neill... it's a bit scary."

"Jack's been like a father to me for as long as I've been her, more so after mom died. Sam, too... she's always been like the cool aunt you can talk to about everything. They've helped me out a lot." The smile faded a bit and the conversation stitched to his musings, "I'm sure you will, Matthew. Like I said, you're a good guy... any girl would be lucky to have you."

"You too," he added with a slight smile. "That guy was an idiot to let you go."

Cassie blushed a bit in response. Yeah, he was an idiot... but she was starting to be thankful for that.

**XXXX**

"I wonder what they're talking about," Sam whispered to Daniel, her eyes turned towards Cassie and Fehr. "She's smiling."

The archeologist shrugged, looking at the pair as well. "I wonder what Jack would do if he was here..."

"Probably scowl and pretend like it didn't bother him," Sam offered with a grin of her own. Cassie looked over at them and she quickly turned her head, looking at the rings in front of her. "They're looking," she hissed at Daniel, who immediately did the same thing that she did. The two doctors pretended as if they hadn't been watching the younger kids talking, and had been looking at the rings the entire time.

"Oh, look how beautiful," Sam sighed, pointing at a square cut ring. "I've never had a square cut diamond before... they've always been tear-drop shaped."

"You don't like tear-drop?"

"I'd rather not have it, after the last two I got ended up back in the hands of the men who gave them to me... Besides, I've always liked the square cut's better. I don't know... they're different. I like different."

Daniel nodded, taking all the she was saying in. Ok... not tear-shaped, square-cut. Definitely not tear-shaped. Have to tell Jack that. "What about the number of stones? I know Pete's ring only had onebut what about the other?" Good move Danny boy, don't mention the psycho's name. Like that'll help any.

"They were almost the same, really..." Sam mused. "It was a bit disconcerting, actually."

Ok, no one-stoned rings, either. Scratch those off the list for Jack.

Captain Bridges finished paying for his wife's ring and went over to his friend, "Come on Matt... I gotta get home before Steph gets curious."

Fehr nodded and looked at Cassie, "I'll see you sometime later, then?"

Cassie smiled, "Yeah..."

He looked at Daniel and Sam, "See you when I get back to work." And with that he limped off, causing Sam to remember that he was supposed to be on crutches. She let it go and looked back at the rings.

"Anything I can help you with?" the woman who had been helping Bridges questioned. Sam looked up at her and smiled. She wasn't very tall, maybe 5'3, her hair was a dark shade of brown and hung just above her shoulder, and her eyes were bright hazel. She had to be no more than twenty two, so this had to be a job to help for her college.

"I'm just looking," she replied with a smile.

Nicole, as her name-tag read, returned the favor. "You and your boyfriend–"

"Oh, no," Daniel said, cutting in. "I'm not her boyfriend..."

She nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Not engaged then?"

Sam shook her head, "Not yet..."

Daniel noted the hopeful look in her eyes and turned to Cassie, "You know... I think Jack mentioned something about us dropping by the base for a bit."

"Really?" Sam asked, her attention turned away from the saleswoman to Daniel. "He didn't mention it to me..."

Well, he hadn't mentioned it to Daniel, either. But that didn't mean they wouldn't go anyway. "That's because you fell asleep." he informed her, using the first excuse that came to mind. Which, could have been true. She did fall asleep fairly early the night before. So, it was believeable.

"Oh," she turned back towards the sales woman and smiled. "Thank you, anyway."

"No problem," the girl replied. "I expect to be seeing you soon."

Sam smiled a bit at the implication and turned towards Daniel and Cassie, "Let's get going, then..."

**XXXX**

**A/N: I figured since I made you guys wait so long I'd make the chapter a bit longer... let me know what you think. I love feedback, of course!  
**


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Thirty Three**

**Disclaimer: Nah, not this time around either... but if Fehr does end up in this chapter, he's still mine.**

**XXXX**

The airmen guarding Cheyenne Mountain waved Daniel's car through after Cassie signed the visitors roster, and he proceeded in parking in his usual spot. The three climbed out of the car and made their way into the mountain, then boarded their first elevator down. A few minutes later they entered their second and final elevator, after being checked for clearance by yet another set of airmen. They finally made it to level 28, whereupon they headed for Jack's office.

In the end, the two made her enter the office first, just in case he was in a bad mood for whatever reason. She knocked lightly on the door before opening it, not waiting for him to call out to allow her to do so. He knew that she was the only one brave enough to enter without waiting, and she knew that she was the only one he would ever let do so. "Jack?" she questioned, pushing the door open and sticking her head in through the crack.

He grinned at her, then waved her through. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be holed up at my house, asleep."

"Cassie and Daniel made me get up," she informed him, stepping inside the office, the two at her heal. "They wanted to shop... and well, I was kind of lonely without anybody to keep me company, so we went to the mall." A grin spread across her face and she looked over at the young woman to her right, "Actually... we ran into Captain Bridges and Lieutenant Fehr while we were there."

Jack scowled, "Yeah...? How is his leg?"

"Well, he was walking without his crutches, so I guess it's better. You should ask Cassie, though," she grinned widely, "I didn't really talk to him that much."

Score one, Carter.

"Because you were too busy looking at the engagement rings," Cassie retorted, a grin of her own gracing her face.

Score one for Fraiser.

Sam only shrugged in response, perfectly hiding the blush that was fighting to show itself. "I really didn't have much else to do, I didn't want it to seem obvious to the lieutenant that we hadn't walked over there just so you could talk to him."

And she once again took the lead. Sam looked over at Cassie with a smug smile then glanced back at Jack, "How has your day been?"

"SG-12 took off half an hour ago, and SG-9 returns in a few hours..." there wasn't much for the lower digit SG teams to do, since most of them had been either captured by Thoth, or had been involved in the rescue of the first mentioned. Of course, he had given most of them one simple day off, since they hadn't been effected any, but it was that day off. "Same old, same old... What are you guys doing here?"

Daniel answered that question, "I forget to tell you something..."

"You couldn't call?"

He shook his head, "Not really... and we were already out. So, I figured why not? Um..." he glanced at Cassie and Sam, "I kind of need Jack to myself for a while."

"Should I be worried about this?" Sam questioned with a grin. "You're not stealing my boyfriend, are you?"

The archeologist shook his head, "I don't think you have anything to be worried about."

She gave him an incredulous look, "Uh huh... I've got my eye on you, Jackson."

"Hey, hey," Jack called out, "your eye should be on me!"

"Always," she assured him, winking. "Come on Cassie, let's go get some Jell-o."

**XXXX**

"What is this about?" Jack questioned, as soon as the girls left. "I can't think of much that is important enough to drive all the way out here instead of calling."

"She would say yes," he stated cryptically. "I know for sure now."

"How?"

Daniel sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk, pulling it closer, "We went to the mall today... because Cassie and I were going to hint at her about the possibility of engagement. It turns out, we didn't have to, Fehr and Bridges took care of that themselves. I guess it's Bridge's five year anniversary, and Fehr went with him to shop for something for his wife... and they were at Kay's Jewelers. Leave it to Cassie to seek them out... Sam noticed her looking and went over there, and well, we milked it for all it was worth. While the two of them were talking, Cassie and Fehr, I went over to the engagement ring case and she followed. She likes square cut rings, never had one before, they've always been tear-drop shaped, also she's always had a single stone, never more than that. I got the feeling she liked the three stoned rings. No matter what, stay away from the tear-drop one-stoned rings... both Hanson and Pete ended up getting her those... and, I think she'd rather do without another one."

"Well, thank you for telling me what I already knew..." he sighed, "what makes you think she'd say yes?"

"You already knew?" he questioned, perplexed. "How?"

"I talked to Jacob about what kind of stone she liked, he told me square. He also informed me what Hanson gave her, and well, I knew what Shanahan gave her, so that was a no-brainier. I'm not as dumb as I let people think, you know?"

"You talked to Jacob about this already?"

Jack nodded, "A long time ago... you never answered my question."

"The woman who worked there asked her if we were dating, she told her no... then the woman asked if she was engaged. Jack... dreamy is the only word to describe the look in her eyes. She wants to be engaged to you, all you have to do is ask."

"Easier said than done," he said with a snort. "Asking a woman to marry you is no walk in the park."

"I wouldn't know," Daniel said with a frown, "I never asked Sha're."

"Then take my word for it, it ain't easy."

"Listen, Jack... I really can't say much about proposal, but I don't think what's said is what counts." He stood up and smiled lightly at him, "I think it's more the fact that you want to spend the rest of your life with her that matters. And, a sizable diamond might take the edge off of it."

"I'll bet," Jack sighed. "You're probably right Daniel... but that doesn't make me feel much better about this."

"You'll do great," he assured him, "and I'm sure she'd say yes no matter what how you asked."

He nodded, "Ok... ok. Get out of my office now."

"Are you going to ask her?"

"Someday..."

"When?"

"Someday in the future?"

"Jack."

"Daniel."

"You're not going to tell me?"

"You're not going to get out of my office?"

"Cassie is probing Sam for answers..."

"Don't you have an office of your own?"

"Yeah..."

"Then why are you still in mine?"

"...By the future do you mean a week, a month, longer?"

"By the future I mean the future."

"Jack..."

"Daniel... Why are you still here?"

"I... uh..."

"You'll know after I ask her, ok? Is that a good enough answer?"

"No... not really..."

"Tough luck, that's all you get."

Daniel sighed, "You know... I have an office."

"Do ya?" Jack questioned, "Imagine that."

He nodded, "Yeah... and I should probably go there now."

"By all means, don't let me stop ya."

"Right..." Daniel turned and started out of the office. After he had opened the door and stepped halfway out he turned around again, "So... you're really not going to tell me?"

"Nah," Jack replied, shaking his head.

Daniel nodded, "Right... I'll see you later."

"Looking forward to it already."

Somehow Daniel didn't quite believe him.

**XXXX**

"When you and Jack get married," Cassie started, as the two sat down at a table in the commissary, "who's going to be your maid of honor?"

Sam laughed, spooning some of her jell-o as she gave Cassie an amused look, "Well... first of all, Jack has to ask me to marry him first, and second of all, you will be my maid of honor."

"Well, of course he's going to ask you– I'd really be your maid of honor?"

"Of course," Sam told her with a smile, "who else would I pick?"

"...Mark's wife?"

"Maybe as a bridesmaid... but we're not close enough for her to be that special."

"When I get married I want you to be my maid of honor." Cassie mused, taking a sip of her soda.

"Whoa, there..." Sam corrected, "by the time you get married I'd better be the matron of honor."

The younger woman laughed, "Yeah... ok, I can live with that. I don't plan on getting married anytime soon, anyway."

There was a relative silence for a few seconds before Sam spoke again, "You really think he'll ask?" She looked up at Cassie, a questioning look in her eyes, "I mean... so soon?"

"Why wouldn't he?" she asked. "You love him, he loves you, where's the problem here?"

"We haven't really be together long... you don't think it's sudden?"

"Sam, people have been together for less time before they got married before, you know? I mean, yeah... maybe you haven't been _dating_ that long, but can you really only count the time since you descended? So what, you two didn't make out before, but you were still in love with each other– even if you couldn't act on it." The woman shrugged, "I know that I always wondered about the two of you when I was younger."

"You did not," Sam questioned, "really?"

Cassie nodded, "Oh yeah. I never really had a father, he died when I was very young... but there was a young family that lived by us on Hanka, and you two always reminded me of them. They joked with each other like you and Jack did and I never understood what was so funny, it was like it was something only they knew about. Also, they would share these looks, like they had the most perfect person in the world with them. I don't know... something about you two made me think of them. I told mom about it once, and she said that you two were in love, but couldn't act on your feelings because of the military. I never really got that rule, but mom told me not to say anything to you or Jack about it, so I didn't. She would have been so thrilled to know you two finally got together."

"Wow... she never, I mean– we talked about it sometimes, I didn't know she was..."

"She never made any indication of knowing because she didn't want to put you in an awkward situation, so she and I talked about it when the two of you made her frustrated. Oh, you should have seen here after the zatarc testing. I never heard so much cursing come out of her mouth... she was such a passionate person." Cassie smiled sadly, "God... I really miss her."

Sam reached out over the table and took a hold of Cassie's hand, "Yeah, me too."

"You know, I have something for you... at the house."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I just can't bring myself to sell it... it's already paid for, so I guess I'm going to move out of the dorms next year and stay there full time while I'm in med-school. But– this is something of mom's. She left me a note, it was with her will. You know when you get married you have to have something old, new, borrowed, and blue? Mom had this beautiful diamond necklace, it was her great-grandmothers... she wanted me to give it to you when you get married, as your something old. I think it's time I gave it to you..."

"Cassie..."

"Mom would want me to, you know? She would have been so proud of you."

"Of you too," Sam assured her. "Your mother loved you so much, Cassie... every time she talked about you she had this gleam in her eyes. She always bragged about how good you were doing in school. Especially when you got yearbook editor."

Cassie grinned, "You know what... we should talk about something a bit less angsty?"

"Ok... Lieutenant Fehr was looking really nice today, don't you agree?"

A brilliant red brightened her cheeks and Sam couldn't help but grin. "I hardly know him, Sam..."

"I don't know," she mused, "I sensed some major sparkage."

"You did not."

"Did to."

"Really?"

Sam nodded.

"You're serious?"

"I am."

"Sparkage?"

"_Major_."

Cassie grinned. "He seems really nice."

"I agree... he's a cute one, too."

"I know," Cassie said. "And he's a marine."

"Oh... you like that, huh?"

"Of course I do... the Air Force is nice and everything, and I know I would never be a Marine, but– their uniforms..."

"Yeah... the marines do have the nicest uniforms."

"I wonder what he looks like in his..."

Sam smiled, "You've got a crush."

Cassie blushed once more, "...Maybe..."

"Do you want me to talk to him about it?"

"...Maybe..."

She started to reply when the doors to the commissary opened and Daniel came strolling in, "Hey... you guys ready to head out of here?"

"Is Jack busy?" Sam questioned.

Daniel nodded, "Oh yeah..."

"Oh," she sighed, "alright then. Yeah, we're ready."

"Good," he grinned at Cassie and gave her a quick 'OK' sign when Sam wasn't looking. When the astrophysicist looked back at him he returned his normal stance, "Let's get going then."


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

**When All Else Fails **

**Chapter Thirty Four**

**Disclaimer: Not my show, not my characters... mostly. Fehr and Bridges and Sanchez, who all appear in this chapter, are mine.**

**XXXX**

A week flew by and Jack had yet to propose, or give an indication that he was planning on doing so any time soon. Of course, the man had told Daniel that he wouldn't tell anyone until afterwards, which was partly the archeologists fault, since he had pestered Jack so much about it. But still, Cassie and Daniel were growing impatient, and they couldn't do a thing about it except to wait and see what happened.

The girl had stopped by the SGC once to have lunch with Sam, a few days earlier. Ever since (Sam) had returned from ascension both had made an effort to spend more time with each other as the had before. Cassie because she had already lost two of her mothers, and nearly lost the woman who was like her third, and Sam because she knew that Cassie had gone through so much, too much in her life and she felt guilty for adding herself to the list of the young woman's lost loved ones. She would make up for it any way she could, and Sam had a brilliant idea.

They had been busy chatting over their lunch when Daniel had walked into the commissary, "Hey, Cassie..." he greeted, "are you here for Fehr's promotion ceremony?"

Cassie had shot Sam a dirty look, knowing immediately she had been set up, "Ceremony?"

Daniel nodded, oblivious to the silent conversation going on between the females, "Nothing fancy, of course. It's just going to be in the briefing room with Jack, SG-1, and SG-5... well, Sanchez, he's really the only other SG-5 member as of yet. Anyway, I think that the SG-3 marines might be there as well, not to mention Captain Bridges, but I'm sure there would be enough from for an extra person." The man shrugged and sneaked a few fries from Sam's tray. "I bet he would appreciate it."

"I'm not SGC personnel, Daniel. Am I allowed to attend things of that nature?"

"You're still Air Force," Sam pointed out with a shrug of her shoulders. "All we'd have to do is find you a fitting uniform, and I'm sure there are a few laying around somewhere..."

Bull. Sam had purposely found one Cassie's size and made it a point to leave it in an unmarked locker. _How on earth did that get there? Hmm, that's strange..._

"Alright," Cassie agreed with a sigh. No use in arguing anyway– and she did want to go. "_If_ Jack say's it's ok."

That wouldn't be a problem. Sure, Jack wasn't fond of the crush between the two, but he had to, and did, admit that Matthew Fehr was good people. And would, in turn, be good for Cassie. Besides, Sam pretty much had him wrapped around her finger, and could get him to do almost anything, within reason and chain-of-command, of course. This would be a piece of cake– speaking of cake...

Jack had told Sam to keep the night open, he was taking her out to dinner. She wasn't of the occasion, or if there even was one, but she wasn't going to argue with Italian food and a night out with the man she was head-over-heals in love with.

"Well," Daniel announced, taking her out of her thoughts. "The ceremony is in twenty minutes... I should go change, I guess."

Sam nodded, standing and picking up her tray, "We probably should, too..."

"After we talk to Jack," Cassie reminded her. There was no way she was going to waltz into the briefing room without permission.

"Right," Sam agreed, "then let's go right now."

"Now?"

"Yup, we've got to have time to get ready when he says alright..." she smiled and went to discard her tray, leaving Cassie in her wake and Daniel headed for the door. The twenty one year old finally managed to get out of her chair and do the same with her food, then follow Sam out the door and down the hallway to the elevator, which then headed to Sub-level 28. Sam then proceeded to Jack's office, knocked slightly, then entered without having permission to do so.

When they entered the office, Jack was standing up, ready to argue with whoever was coming in without his say so, but then he noticed who it was. "Cassie?" he questioned, glancing at the girl, then towards the other woman, "Colonel Carter..."

A smile crept onto Sam's face, he knew something was up. "Sir, since Cassie is already here... it wouldn't be much of a problem to have her attend the promotion ceremony for Captain Fehr, would it?"

He hesitated for a second before answering, "I'm not sure..."

"Oh, come on, _sir_," she stated, emphasizing the sir, "it's not like there's going to be a large number of people packed into the briefing room. I think one more body won't make much of a difference."

Jack sighed, having caught on to the 'sir's' she had been using. Of course, it was mandatary at work, but lately when it was just the two of them, she called him Jack– even if they were still at the SGC. "I guess... if she can find dress-blues."

"That won't be a problem," Sam grinned. "I'll see you in fifteen minutes, then, sir."

"Yeah, fifteen minutes..." he was a bit sore now, because he had been bullied into letting Cassie attend the ceremony. Not that he didn't want the girl around, but this was going to bring her and Fehr closer. In his eyes Cassie was still too young to date, and she would always be. Even a nice guy like Matthew Fehr wasn't good enough for the girl that was like his niece... daughter even. "You'd better be on time, Carter."

"I will sir," she assured him, pulling Cassie with her out the room. "Fifteen minutes."

**XXXX**

Twelve minutes later Sam and Cassie were entering the briefing room, pushing through the group of marines crowded around the door. Some of them looked at Cassie, uncertain of who this young woman was and why she was there, and only a few knew exactly what was going on. Even Teal'c was confused about why she was there, but he knew it had something to do with Sam and Daniel, as most unusual things he had ever seen normally did. He knew, of course, that this had nothing to do with Jack. It was no secret that the man was possessive of those he loved and did not approve of a crush between the two younger adults. Teal'c, however, thought that Fehr was a good person and would be a suitable mate for Cassandra Fraiser.

"Cassandra Fraiser," he greeted with a bow as Sam led her over to where Teal'c and Daniel stood, "it is good to see you again."

"You too, T," she replied with a genuine smile. "Did you get a haircut?"

"Indeed," he nodded.

"Looks good," she complimented, looking around. "Where is Jack?"

And not to mention Lieutenant, no Captain, Fehr.

"He and Fehr are in his office, they'll be out in a minute," Daniel answered with a grin much like the one that Sam had been wearing for the past half hour. Cassie knew that grin and at the moment she did not like it. They were planning something. She knew it.

Moments later, the door to Jack's office opened and Jack stepped into the briefing room, followed by a Captain Matthew Fehr. The young man nearly stopped in his tracks when he noticed her, and he sent her a confused look to which she simply shrugged and smiled sweetly. She wasn't that sure as to why she was there, either, but now that she was, she wasn't complaining.

Fehr took his place next to his CO, Major Sanchez, who had just recently returned from the Tok'ra home world. The man's slender frame and sunken eyes would have one believe that he had just gotten over an illness, rather than returning from having his body inhabited by a snake-like alien. His eyes, once bright and joyful, were now dark and suspicious. Sam felt for him, not understanding his pain of having been a host to a Goa'uld, but knowing how difficult it is to watch things happen through your eyes, but having no control over it. She hadn't been in control once during her time with Jollinar, and even knowing that the symbiote was peaceful, it had still terrified her.

Everybody in the room came to attention when Jack turned to Captain Bridges, who would be reading the commendation, at Fehr's request. Not that he didn't like Walter... but Bridges was his closest friend. Jack turned to Fehr quickly before the man began, "Lieutenant Fehr is a fine solider, and from what I can tell, just as good a man. He risked his life to save that of others, and even managed to cause himself more harm than the enemy did in the process," both the general and lieutenant smiled briefly, before Jack continued. "In a way, he reminds me of myself when I was young." A few raised eyebrows caught Jack's attention and he shot evil looks at those around him. "For his sake, lets hope he doesn't develop my habit of ignoring the chain-of-command.

"That being said," Jack continued, turning to Bridges once again, "would you do the honors, Captain?"

Bridges nodded, "The President of the United States has placed and confidence in the patriotism, integrity and abilities of Lieutenant Matthew Fehr. Lieutenant Matthew Fehr is now promoted to the grade of Captain, United States Marine Corps." He pinned Fehr's new insignia on his uniform and saluted him, Fehr returning the gesture before returning to his CO and doing the same. Jack saluted him back.

"Captain Matthew Fehr," Jack said, earning a few catcalls from the marines who had attended the function, "now raise your right hand and repeat after me..."

**XXXX**

The ceremony had ended and after his marine brothers had informed him that he was being taken out for drinks that night, to celebrate, he sat down in one of the briefing room chairs, sighing heavily. Who knew that being promoted would be such an energy drainer... but then again, it was probably the bum leg. Or, the massive headache.

Most people had filed out of the room, except for SG-1, sans Daniel, who had run off muttering something about a translation that needed to be finished, _soon_. The General still remained, as did Cassie and Bridges, too. Currently, the 5 were talking to each other, Sam having asked how Bridges' anniversary went. When Cassie's eyes glanced around the room, searching for him, they found the man sitting in a chair, looking worse for wear. She excused herself, walking quietly to where he sat, and then touched his shoulder gently.

"Matthew?" she questioned, kneeling down to attempt to look at him closer. "Are you ok?"

"Fine," he mumbled, nursing his pounding head. "It's just a headache..."

"Do you want some Advil?"

He shook his head, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Easier said than done. He didn't look so good. "Are you sure? I think something might be wrong... how is your leg?"

"It's ok," he assured her. "I'm fine."

Cassie snorted, "Listen, Matt– one of the first things that my mom made sure I knew, was that when it comes to one's health, _I'm fine_ is usually bullshit and the person is usual much worse than that would like others to think."

"You're mother was a brilliant and evil woman." he said, looking up at her for the first time during the conversation. "But, I'll be alright, trust me. It's just a headache... and it probably has a lot to do with my leg."

"Does it still hurt?"

"Not when I take the drugs," he said with a grin. "It's healing, I'll be back to perfect health in a week or so... I'm not going to complain with Brightman."

The girl smiled lightly, "She's just looking out for you, trust me on this one. If you cooperate a bit more, she won't be so hard on you." A grin stretched across her face, "Maybe you are like Jack."

Fehr smiled a bit at that statement– as far as he was concerned, there was nothing wrong with being like the General. He was, in fact, a General... so that had to be something important. "Hey..." he asked, a bit shyly, "do you have anything planned for tonight?"

She shook her head, feeling her cheeks flush, "Why do you ask?"

"Uh... the guys want to take me out for drinks, if I have a _good_ enough excuse, I can get out of it..."

Where she might have minded that he was using her to get out of going out with a bunch of guys if it had been anybody else, she smiled at the offer pertaining to Fehr. "I'd be honored to be your scape goat."

He fumbled for an explination, "Not that I wouldn't want to spend time with you, otherwise... It's just... I..."

"I understand," Cassie assured him. "What time?"

"What time, what?" Fehr asked, a confused expression appearing on his face.

"I assume you are going to pick me up... or do I have to drive to wherever it is we're going?"

"Oh," he grinned sheepishly, "sorry. Um... I guess at 1900."

"Ok," she replied, standing back up. "I'll be at Jack's, do you know where to go?"

Fehr nodded, the General's house was known to almost everyone on base, just in case he wasn't able to be reached any other way than to drive to his place. "Yeah..."

"I'll see you at seven then," she told him, smiling slightly.

Cassie glanced over her shoulder at Sam and nodded towards the door, telling the woman to follow her. Sam understood this and excused herself from the guys, glancing at Jack, who was scowling something fierce. Obviously, he had been watching the exchange between Fehr and Cassie, as well. Without another word she walked casually out of the room, containing her excitement for the young woman.

She was waiting for her down the hallway from the briefing room, "I think he just asked me out on a date..."

"You think?"

"Well, I'm not sure what we're going to do. He just said that he was invited to have drinks with some of the marines, and I guess he wasn't really looking forward to it. But, that if he had a good excuse, he could get out of it."

"You think you're ready to date? So soon?" Sam asked, worried that the girl might be rushing into a new relationship because she had recently broken up with her fiancé.

"I really like him, Sam..."

"I know you do."

"So? You and Jack are going out tonight?"

Sam nodded.

"Any special occasion?"

"Nope."

"You think he's gonna...?"

The Colonel's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, "I don't know..."

"I think he's gonna."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it just seems like a good time, don't you think so?"

"I think anytime would be a good time, Cassie."

Made sense. "Well... I think that he's gonna."

"We'll see. What time is Fehr picking you up?"

"Seven... at Jack's house. I figured I'd make it somewhere he knew of..."

"Good idea. I don't think we'll be there then."

"I was hoping not... I don't think Jack likes the idea very much."

"He'll get over it."

"Because he's gonna have a wedding on his mind."

"Maybe..."

"Oh, I think so."

"Maybe..."

"You know he's gonna."

Sam grinned, "I hope so."


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

**When All Else Fails**

**Chapter Thirty Five**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the original characters.**

**A/N: Ok, here we go again. Listen I don't know if you think you are funny or something, but those reviews were really stupid. Yeah, I don't want anything from eBay, thanks anyway, I already have a cell phone. Anyway, I have a very easy remedy for you. If you do not like my story then STOP READING IT. You won't have to waste your time on something you don't like and I won't be bothered with your childish antics. Moreover, thank you for your extremely rude honesty, but I prefer for people to tell me why they think my story sucks, rather than just saying it does. Because without a reason I don't have a way to change anything, not that I would for you anyway. So, for now, I'll listen to the 300 other reviews that are positive. By the way, learn to write correctly. You use capitals at the beginning of a sentence, please is spelled with an a and there is no z, don't has an apostrophe between the n and the t, so does can't, hdngb is not a word, and if you are having problems with the differences between to, two, and too, the one that you needed in your review was "too", which would be defined as "in addition".**

**Sorry to those who had to read all of that. On with the story.**

**XXXX**

By the time that Cassie let herself into Jack's house, nearing 1845, the man had already left, much to her relief. Sam had mentioned something about them going out earlier, and Cassandra was fairly certain that tonight was finally going to be when he proposed. She only hoped she was right and that if he didn't, Sam wouldn't be disappointed. However, she didn't think that would be the case.

As she waited for Matthew to arrive she used the guest bathroom to check her makeup, the little she had put on. After fixing her eyeliner she ventured back into the living room and sat down in front of the TV and flipped through the stations for a few minutes, not settling on anything in particular. She glanced nervously at the clock, watching as the hands neared the 12. There were only four minutes left until he was officially late, and truthfully, she was worried about being stood-up.

But, her fears were laid to rest when, at two minutes before 1900, the doorbell rang. She breathed a sigh of relief and stood up from the couch, checking out the peephole before answering the door. Further relieved when she found that it was indeed Matt and he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt she opened the door, suddenly happy she had decided not to dress up. Her roommate had suggested wearing something fancy, rather than jeans and sneakers, but she had argued that she knew a little bit about the man, and didn't think they were going any place too classy.

"Hey," she greeted with a genuine smile. "I'd invite you in, but..." it wasn't exactly her house and there wasn't much to do in Jack's place, unless they wanted to watch the complete first 8 seasons of The Simpsons. He nodded and moved aside to let her out of the house, then waited as she locked the door behind her. "Where are we going?" she questioned as they walked down the front steps of his concrete porch.

"You'll find out soon enough," he told her with a grin, heading for a green Wrangler and the end of the driveway. "You don't mind driving with the top off, do you?"

Well, her hair would get messed up, most likely, but she had a mini-brush in her purse. "No, that's fine with me."

He opened the door for her and waited for her to get in, then closed it and walked around to the drivers side. "Sorry it took me so long to get here. The Marines didn't really buy my excuse and tried to drag me to the bar themselves." he looked over at her with a smile and started up the car. "I had to promise them a rain check to get away."

"How is your leg?"

Matthew shrugged, "Well, I lucked out with it being my left one, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to drive. I really shouldn't be, doctors orders, and all, but it's healing good and doesn't hurt much anymore."

"You sure?" she asked, concerned. He hadn't been so great that afternoon. "What about the headache?"

"It went away," he assured her. "I'm alright, Cassandra, don't worry."

She nodded and turned her attention towards the road, and the buildings they were passing. "You're really not going to tell me where we are going?" she asked once more, looking at him.

"Nope."

Cassie scowled in a very Jack O'Neill way, and Matt smiled because of it. And she said he had been acting like the General earlier. Ha. "You know, you're actually really cute when you do that... If it's supposed to intimidate me, you need some practice."

Her face turned a shade of bright pink and she turned away, hiding the flush of her cheeks and the broad smile that she couldn't keep from forming on her lips. "I guess so."

"Where did they go anyway? General O'Neill and Colonel Carter?"

"Some Italian restaurant. Very expensive."

"Really?" he questioned, in a suggesting tone. "Is he planning on...?"

"I think he is. Daniel and I have been trying to get him to propose for weeks now, or at least speed things up a bit. So, we kind of figured that with the fancy meal... the special day–"

"What's special about today?"

"It's been exactly a month since Sam returned," Cassie explained. "I don't think she even realizes it."

"But O'Neill does?"

She nodded, "He and Daniel were talking about it yesterday, I guess. Daniel hadn't even remembered, to tell the truth. I think Jack was the only one keeping count. Maybe he's afraid she's going to go back or someting." She smiled lightly, "Or that she's going to figure out how much better she is tan him and leave."

"He really thinks like that?"

Cassie nodded, "Even though she always tells him otherwise. Jack hasn't exactly been a perfect angel, he's had to do things that will haunt him for the rest of his life and thinks that because of it he's less of a person. What he doesn't realize, is that Sam has had to do some distasteful things too... neither one of them are perfect, but to him, she's much closer to it than he is. Therefore, she deserves better."

"I don't think she'd ever find a better man than General O'Neill."

"She wouldn't. He just doesn't know that..." she shrugged. "I guess as long as things work out it doesn't matter. He knows that she loves him, and that's all that really counts."

Fehr nodded, pulling into a parking lot. Noticing that they were stopping Cassie looked up at the building, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Who told you?"

**XXXX**

Giovanni's was a small, intimate restaurant down the street from Jack's home. Neither had ever been before, since it was less than a year old and at the time it had been built she was ascended and the last thing on his mind was eating Italian food alone... or worse, with Daniel. He claimed that you could never eat anything other than American food with the man, unless you wanted a history lesson on the culture who invited it. And Sam knew that he even prattled on about American made food, and how it came to be.

They had made reservations for 1900 hours, on Sam's suggestion, and were seated almost immediately upon arrival. The table was positioned in front of a large window that looked out upon the city, the restaurant being settled high on a mountain. For miles all that could be seen was lights coming from other stores and restaurants and cars.

"I remembered what today is," she said quietly as the waitress left with their drink orders. Jack looked up at her, waiting for her to continue, as if he hadn't a clue of what she was talking about. "It's been a months since I've been back. A month since we started... dating I guess."

"Is it really?" the tone in his voice showed surprise, but he had a knowing look in his eyes.

She nodded, looking over the menu, "Is that why you wanted to go out?"

"Partly," he admitted, picking up his own menu and glancing at it.

"And the other part...?"

"It's a surprise," he said nonchalantly. "You'll find out later."

"Jack, I hate surprises."

"You'll like this one," he assured her. "Don't worry about it."

Sam sighed and nodded. She wasn't_ worried _about it, she was just impatient and wanted to know. They were quiet for the next few minutes, only speaking to ask the other if they knew what they were getting, and when the waitress came once more with their drinks they were ready to order. "I'll have the Chicken Marsala." she told the petite, brunette woman, whose name tag read Amelia.

"And I'll have the Chicken Sparpariello." Jack said, giving her his menu. Sam did the same and the woman walked off towards the kitchen to turn in their orders.

"So..." Sam said as soon as the woman had gone, "what's the surprise?"

**XXXX**

Cassie looked in surprise at the building Matthew had pulled into, waiting for the man's answer. He smiled at her and turned off the car, stepping out of the Wrangler and heading over to her door to let her out. As she unbuckled her seatbelt he opened the door, then helped her onto the concrete road. "A little birdie," he replied cryptically. "To tell the truth, it's classified."

"I am a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force and have full security clearance for everything SGC related," she reminded him with a grin. "You can't use classified with me."

"I can when my boss tells me to," he told her with a smile of his own, not at all worried about the fact that he just slipped. "...Oh, oops..."

"So it was Jack, huh?" she questioned, as they walked into the building.

"I didn't say it."

"I bet your probably wondering why I like it so much?" she asked with a sheepish smile.

"I wasn't really... but if you'd like to tell me, then I'm game."

"The first place Jack took me to after I came down from... Toronto, was Laser Tag. I won the game, but only because he let me. The next time we went, it was with mom, Sam, Daniel, Jack, and Murray. We had the greatest time and even though I came in last place, because I made them promise not to go easy on me, I had the time of my life. I was only twelve years old and I didn't know much about this... state. It was something that I never grew out of, I guess. I still have to swing on the swings at the park, too..." she blushed lightly and smiled. "Kind of dorky, huh?"

"Not at all," he assured her. "I love Laser Tag, and swings... See, I'm the oldest out of five kids, and my youngest brother is just now turning 10 years old, so it was my job to watch after them and they all loved to go to Laser Tag, among other things."

"Do you have any sisters?"

"One, she's about to turn 20."

"Oh," Cassie felt a little awkward being just a year older than his only sister. Then again, he, himself, was only 25. "So... are we going to play or what?"

He grinned, "Let's go."

**XXXX**

She watched from behind a barrel of "toxic waste" as he dunked into the hidden room. With a smile on her face she followed after him, as surreptitiously as possible, her gun ready. When she was far enough into the room to see his growing green vest she fired, hitting him with the first shot. The vest turned red. He was out for the next fifteen seconds. Even so, she proceeded into the room, her gun still drawn.

"That's cheating," he called out, a smile on his face.

"All's far in love and war," she said with a shrug, "and this is war."

The vest turned green once more and before he had the change to get a shot out he was hit. "General O'Neill taught you this, didn't he?"

She shook her head, "Murray did."

"That was my second guess." he mumbled as his time-out was up and the vest turned green.

Another shot, his vest stayed red. Cassie stepped closer to him, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Shouldn't you be better at this than I am? I mean, you're a much higher rank than me. I'm only a lowly E5 and you're a big bad Captain."

"But you're cheating."

"So?" she questioned with a grin, stepping closer and forcing him to back against the wall. "If I can cheat, so can you."

He must have taken her advice, because before she knew it he stepped forward, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her as close as the vests would allow. She let out a surprised yelp that was covered almost immediately with his lips, forcing her to give up her protests. Not realizing what she was doing she dropped her gun and let the cord that attached it to her vest keep it from hitting the ground, then brought her hands around his neck, pulling him closer and deeper into the kiss.

Before she knew it, she was hit. She pulled away from him, her mouth dropping open and a look that could kill in her eyes. "That's _so_ not fair," she complained, scowling at the broad smile on his face.

"All's fair in love an war," he repeated, backing out of the room and away from her gun, "and _this_ is both."

**XXXX**

After they had finished their dinner they got back into Jack's truck and he took off down the road. Although she had tried numerous times he still hadn't told her what the surprise was or where they were headed to, and she was starting to get a bit nervous. What if he wasn't going to ask her that night? Had she and Cassie both been wrong?

The ride was only a few minutes long and before she knew it they were at the same lake that they two had gone to before her surprise 'welcome home party'. Confusion danced in her eyes as he shut the truck off and she glanced out over the water, "...Jack?"

"Come on," he told her, his voice almost a whisper. "I've got a surprise for you."

Well yes, she knew that. But what kind of surprise could he have for her at a fishing pond? She let herself out of the truck, and met him around at his side. He slid his hand into hers and led her down onto the sandy shore, a broad smile on his face. She paused for a moment to slip off her high healed shoes and when they reached the bank she understood. There was a small rowboat docked on the sand that she knew didn't belong there.

"Is this the surprise?" she questioned, still a bit confused.

"Part of it," he told her as he led her to the boat. "Here get in."

She got in easily and waited for him to push it out into the water, whereupon he got in as well. There was only one set of rows so she figured he had taken the others out, so she wouldn't have to help. From what she could see there was a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice, and two glasses beside it, in the seat behind Jack.

"I don't understand..."

"You will," he told her. "Be patient."

So she did. A few minutes later they reached the middle of the lake and he stopped rowing to reach behind him and grab the wine and glasses. It was a bright night, with the aide of the moon, so seeing to pour the wine was no problem and he gave her a glass, then poured himself one. "Samantha," he started, forgoing any sort of toast. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come back... and I never in my life imagined being as happy as I am now."

"...Jack–"

"Just let me finish," he said, cutting her sentence short. "I don't know why you chose me or what on earth I did to deserve such a wonderful woman, but I don't plan on letting you go... ever. And the only way I know how to keep you for myself is by asking you to be my wife." Before she knew it a small, velvet box was in his hands, being opened. She nearly gasped at the sigh of it, her heart pounding in her chest as she looked at the beautiful three, square cut stones. "Samantha Elizabeth Carter," he continued, "will you marry me?"

"Of course," she said, allowing him to slid the ring onto her finger. She set down her wine glass, not really caring if it tipped over, and leaned forward in the boat, hugging him close to her. "Of course."

_The End!_

**XXXX**

**A/N: Well... that's all folks! I know it ends kind of corny... but I'm thinking about doing a sequel. That's if you guys want one of course. But, if I do one it might not be out for awhile, because I want to get most of my other stories finished first. Anyway, let me know.**


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